Beyond Automation: Rethinking Work, Creativity, and Governance in the Age of Generative AI

The rapid expansion of generative artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming work, creativity, and economic security in ways that extend beyond automation and productivity. This paper examines four interconnected dimensions of contemporary AI deployment: (1) transformations in employment and task composition (2) unequal diffusion of AI across sectors and socio-demographic groups (3) the role of universal basic income (UBI) as a stabilising response to AI-induced volatility (4) the effects of model alignment and content governance on human creativity, autonomy, and decision-making Using a hybrid approach that integrates labour market task exposure modelling, sectoral diffusion analysis, policy review, and qualitative discourse critique, the study develops an Inclusive AI Governance Framework. It introduces Level 1.5 autonomy as a human centred design principle that preserves evaluative authority while enabling partial automation, and highlights evidence of creative regression and emergent sycophancy in newer model generations. The paper argues that UBI should be embedded within a broader socio-technical governance ecosystem encompassing skills development, proportional regulation, and creativity preservation.