I’ll play devil’s advocate. The idea of human usefulness could adapt. If technology can free people from labor, it might allow society to redefine what it means to contribute and find meaning. Economically undervalued tasks such as caregiving, creativity, learning, and community-building could thrive.
Additionally, what if our capacity for empathy isn’t bound by economic interdependence? Humans care beyond utility already in how we treat the elderly, disabled and animals. It’s possible that in a world of abundance human empathy could be decoupled from our self interest and become more of a moral choice.