I am not hearing good things.
From New York to Singapore, whoever you talk to, is talking about job losses. And the driving force is not economic recession, but almost certainly AI.
We were debating whether AI will take jobs away. That debate is outdated — it is already happening. But not in the way we imagined.
We visualized AI eliminating many job categories and machines replacing people in workplaces and factories. These apocalyptic scenarios look good in movies.
What is happening is less dramatic, yet no less deadly. I think AI is creating efficiencies where, in some roles, one person can do the job of two or three. So in some sectors of the knowledge economy, jobs are shrinking, and new hiring is frozen.
All this is happening silently, and it is happening right now, albeit slowly. But the pace will increase. And it will increase at an accelerating rate. That is how cyclones start.
None of what I said will be a surprise to you. But all I am saying is that it is not in the future — it has already started.
We can rail against these changes, or we can adapt. The right answer is obvious.
What does it mean for jobs? Sadly, it is going to get harder for most people. A few things I can surmise:
1. Roles that need a human touch will stay relatively safe (at least for some more time).
2. Roles that involve a lot of complexity, e.g., if someone has to be good with people but also understand technology and ops, these roles will have more protection.
3. Combining deep knowledge with intuition and judgment will be highly valued.
But even the above points are not absolute. For example, if a doctor assisted by AI can work faster and treat twice the number of patients, a less competent doctor will have fewer patients.
Obviously, technology will usher in many positive changes. But for employability, the water level is rising — right now it is at the ankle level, and we may ignore it. But when the water level reaches our nose, it will be too late.
However, there is no need to be anxious. Just upskill fanatically — reclaim your focus and cut down the time wasted on digital distractions. Even in your jobs, seek new challenges — don’t keep doing the same role mechanically.
The writing is on the wall. We can read it. Or not.
It is up to us.
– Rajan