Zero Work Economy: Governance Challenges Beyond the "Future of Work"

This paper introduces the concept of the Zero Work Economy By Cyril Bladier, a framework designed to help boards and executive committees confront the structural rupture created by generative AI. For two centuries, modern capitalism rested on a silent equation: work = value = rights. Today, this equation is collapsing: Value creation is increasingly captured by AI systems and automation. Yet rights, compensation, and legitimacy remain tied to employment. This mismatch is not a human resources issue—it is a governance challenge for boards.The paper proposes the Zero Work Grid, a two-axis matrix mapping value creation (from humans to systems) and access to legitimacy (from work to orchestration). It highlights four quadrants: Work Economy (traditional model). Future of Work Illusion (narrative but fragile). Zero Work Economy (system-driven, orchestration-led). Shadow Economy (partial automation, invisibility). It also outlines the Zero Work Playbook: nine strategic decisions every board must address, from redefining value creation and HR models to redesigning margins, governance, and investor narratives. Unlike existing post-work or techno-utopian literature, this work is not speculative. It is grounded in 15+ years of advisory work with executive teams in Europe and internationally, and is designed to be board-ready, actionable, and measurable. The central argument: the future of work is not transformation but obsolescence. Boards must urgently adapt their governance to a world where value is created without human work. Keywords Zero Work Economy; Future of Work; Boards; Governance; Artificial Intelligence; Value Creation; Strategy; Orchestration; COMEX; Post-Work Discipline(s) Business and Management Economics Artificial Intelligence & Society Corporate Governance Affiliations Cyril Bladier – Founder & Managing Director, Business On Line (Paris, France); Lecturer, HEC Paris (MBA & Executive MBA), ESCP Business School, École Polytechnique.