Artificial intelligence has become the dominant business conversation of our time. Every week seems to bring another prediction about which jobs will disappear, which industries will be disrupted, and how dramatically work may change over the next decade.

Those questions matter, but I find myself interested in a different one.

What becomes more valuable?

Recently, AI researcher Andrej Karpathy published work examining which professions appear most exposed to automation and which appear more resilient. The findings were not particularly surprising. Many screen-based occupations involving information processing, administration, customer support, scheduling, analysis, and routine digital workflows appear increasingly vulnerable to AI. Meanwhile, occupations rooted in the physical world, construction, hospitality, skilled trades, operations, maintenance, development, and caregiving appear far more durable.

The observation itself is straightforward. The implications are not.

As more of life moves onto screens, the value of what is tangible may increase. Land remains scarce. A desirable location remains desirable. A memorable restaurant still requires people. A great hospitality experience still requires execution. Communities, neighborhoods, and places where people gather cannot be generated with a prompt.

Technology has always made certain activities easier. Yet making something easier does not eliminate the desire for what is real. In many cases, it has the opposite effect. The easier it becomes to create digital experiences, the more people seem to value authentic ones.

That perspective shapes much of how I think about The Coveted Group. Our work sits at the intersection of real estate, hospitality, wellness, development, and human experience. We build, operate, and invest in places that people physically inhabit. Places where they gather, celebrate, recharge, connect, and create memories. Those activities are not becoming less important because of artificial intelligence. There is a reasonable argument that they become more important.

We are already using AI internally across research, communication, planning, marketing, and operations. Like every business, we should continue exploring ways to become more efficient. But efficiency is only part of the story. The larger opportunity may lie in owning, improving, and operating assets that technology cannot replicate.

Land cannot be copied. Scarcity cannot be automated. A remarkable location cannot be manufactured. A meaningful experience cannot be downloaded.

The future will almost certainly become more digital. That possibility only strengthens my conviction in places that feel real.

History suggests that while technology changes, human nature changes far more slowly. People still seek beauty. They still seek connection. They still seek belonging. They still seek experiences worth remembering.

I suspect they always will.

Derrick Grahn

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