I agree with @don’t_wanna_be_stupid_any_more, as they put it: human disempowerment. I think the usefulness would come from a GA that is against or opposed to the principal, so as to avert the creation of an echo chamber. To elaborate, I mean that an opposing-GA would tell you what things are not worth doing. If the principal wants to carry out action XYZ, the opposing-GA would critique it. I think the idea I am describing is more of a Guardian Devil (GD). My whole point with this is that I wouldn’t want a “yes” man with me at all times as an assistant, but someone who can add value.
Of course, this approach has its limitations. For instance, it mustn’t critique me for the sake of criticism. Incorporating this means making the GD extremely intellectual, and at that point, we wouldn’t need humans, because why wouldn’t those models think and carry out actions on their own.
I think a physical manifestation of “no pain, no gain” is that for building muscle, you must exhaust it and induce micro-tears for it build back stronger. This example clearly illustrates why “pain is the unit of effort”. I think that, like most things, it must be a careful balance. One mustn’t suffer for the sake of suffering, but rather, as a result of extending oneself.
Simple example: Assume appropriate background knowledge. If I read a paper where I have difficulty in understanding it, instead of taking the easy way out of asking someone else, I can continue to put myself through the discomfort and eventually, form connections I was previously unable to.
My conclusion is that not all pain is a result of effort, but most effort results in pain.