How AI is Reshaping Job Markets

The AI job reckoning isn’t a hypothetical. It’s happening, and here's how to stay ahead: Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic and one of AI’s most influential voices, isn’t speculating about the future, he’s spelling it out: AI could eliminate half of all entry-level white-collar jobs in the next 1 to 5 years. This isn't fear-mongering. Amodei is building the systems reshaping the workforce. He says most people still don’t believe what’s coming. But disbelief won’t delay the impact. Here's the current state: → AI models today can code, draft legal contracts, review health records, write marketing copy, and conduct research. → Companies aren’t slowly testing, they’re implementing. → Layoffs are starting: ↳Microsoft cut 6,000 employees ↳Meta is reducing mid-level engineering roles ↳Walmart is trimming corporate jobs ↳CrowdStrike cited AI as the driver for cuts As I said on my podcast (Rush Hour Podcast): these companies are richer than ever. Yet they’re still cutting jobs, not because of losses, but to maintain margins as AI investments grow. One analyst projected Microsoft may need 10,000 annual job cuts just to offset AI-related capital costs. This is not a pause, it’s a restructure. Amodei puts it bluntly in a recent interview: “You can’t just step in front of the train and stop it. The only move that’s going to work is steering the train.” The speed and scope of AI’s impact are unlike past tech waves. This one targets: → Junior engineers → First-year law associates → Entry-level analysts → Customer service agents These stepping-stone jobs are vanishing quickly, and may not return. But this doesn’t have to be all doom and gloom. While jobs shift, tools for adaptation are more accessible than ever. Here are three moves you should be making now: 1. Stay Plugged In Track AI news like your job depends on it, because it might. Axios, The Information, TechCrunch and AI company blogs (like Anthropic’s Economic Index) offer real-time signals. 2. Upskill With AI You don’t need to code, but you do need to be AI-literate. Learn to use ChatGPT, Claude, and Midjourney in your current role. Either AI augments you, or replaces you. 3. Keep Your Career Fluid Assume more job shifts are coming. Keep your LinkedIn current. Practice interviewing. Nurture your network. In a shifting market, connections matter more than titles. Here's the bottom line: This isn’t speculation, it’s execution. AI is changing the labor market faster than most people realize. Amodei and other leaders are waving red flags, not to scare us, but to give us a head start. The winners of the AI era won’t be the ones with the safest job, but those who stay curious, flexible, and connected. How are you preparing for this new technology wave? Lmk below! 👇🏾 ---— 👋🏾 Want more startup advice and tech news? Follow me here: Justin Gerrard And check out my podcast: Rush Hour Podcast ♻️ Repost if you think someone in your network would benefit! #anthropic

This video podcast - The Impact of AI on the Global Tech Talent Market - discusses the transformative impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the global tech talent market, highlighting how AI is disrupting old business models and creating a new economic landscape. Pre-AI Market Dynamics: The podcaster first describes the successful business model that existed before the rise of AI. This model was based on a global talent pipeline where companies in developed nations, such as the US and Western Europe, recruited and hired tech professionals from developing countries, including Africa and India. Companies like Andela and Infosys facilitated this process. The system was mutually beneficial: developed nations gained access to skilled labor at a lower cost, while professionals in developing countries earned higher wages with significant purchasing power. Disruption by AI: The arrival of advanced AI tools, referred to as a "renaissance," fundamentally changed this dynamic. The core argument is that AI has become an "entry-level engineer," capable of performing many of the basic coding and development tasks that were previously outsourced to junior talent. This has led to a process of "disintermediation," where the need for human intermediaries and remote entry-level workers has been significantly reduced. Impact on Companies and Employment: The podcast provides specific examples of companies whose business models were shattered by AI. Companies like Andela and Infosys saw their primary value proposition—providing entry-level remote talent—diminished. The speaker also cites the struggles and bankruptcy of education companies like Chegg and 2U, whose services could be easily replicated by AI, which provides direct answers to student questions. This disruption has led to "massive dislocation" in the job market, affecting not only remote workers in developing nations but also new computer science graduates in countries like the US, who are finding it harder to secure entry-level positions. The speaker notes that companies like Microsoft and Google are laying off thousands of people, with AI taking over roles once filled by humans. The podcast concludes that AI is rewriting the "ordinance of the market system." In this new era, technical skills alone are not enough. The focus for businesses and individuals must shift to providing unique value that AI cannot. The speaker warns that this is just the beginning, predicting that in the coming years, even experienced engineers will face disruption as AI becomes increasingly sophisticated, reaching a level of "experience" that rivals their own. The message is a call for adaptation and a fundamental re-evaluation of what makes a person or a company relevant in an AI-driven world https://lnkd.in/eaAY_axV

The rise of AI is reshaping the demand for graduates in Professional Services, with fewer opportunities emerging in traditional Law, Consulting, and Finance graduate programs each year. These once-reliable training grounds for early professional development are eroding, leaving many graduates feeling disenfranchised and uncertain about their career paths. At the heart of this transformation is the way AI is reshaping tasks within knowledge-based professions, altering their economic value and influencing future pay trends. Tasks that once required human expertise—typically performed by entry-level employees—are increasingly automated, reducing their market value. While continuous learning remains essential, AI's ability to scale its "learning" diminishes the competitive edge of human skill-building. This creates a cycle of commoditisation in Professional Services: as AI advances, more tasks become automated, reducing the uniqueness and value of many skills. For individuals who have invested years in education and training for these professions, this trend may seem unsettling. However, it also presents opportunities for those who are willing to adapt. The future belongs to those who cultivate capabilities that AI cannot easily replicate: original thought, creative expression, complex problem-solving, and strong interpersonal skills. Importantly, there is a growing demand for professionals with hands-on expertise and a deep understanding of specific industries. Graduates who focus on acquiring practical experience, learning how industries operate, and mastering the nuances of implementation will be better positioned to succeed in this evolving landscape. So, what should graduates do? Pursue roles and environments that offer real world exposure—internships, rotational programs, startups, or NGOs—where practical expertise can be developed. Embrace multidisciplinary learning to understand not just technical knowledge but also its application in various contexts. Most importantly, focus on enhancing human-centric skills such as empathy, adaptability, leadership, and creative thinking. In this way, a later career transition as a trusted advisor becomes even more valuable. While AI reshapes the world of Professional Services, the most resilient careers will be those that blend industry-specific expertise with the distinctly human qualities that no algorithm can replicate. The future of work isn't just about adapting to AI—it's about defining what only you can uniquely offer.

The biggest AI impacts won’t be borne out in a calculus of jobs but rather in seismic shifts in the level of expertise required to do them. In our article in Harvard Business Review, Joseph Fuller, Michael Fenlon, and I explore how AI will bend learning curves and change job requirements as a result. It’s a simple concept with profound implications. In some jobs, it doesn’t take long to get up to speed. But in a wide array of jobs, from sales to software engineering, significant gaps exist between what a newbie and an experienced incumbent know. In many jobs with steep learning curves, our analysis indicates that entry-level skills are more exposed to GenAI automation than those of higher-level roles. In these roles, representing 1 in 8 jobs, entry-level opportunity could evaporate. Conversely, about 19% of workers are in fields where GenAI is likely to take on tasks that demand technical knowledge today, thereby opening up more opportunities to those without hard skills.   Our analysis suggests that, in the next few years, the better part of 50 million jobs will be affected one way or the other. The extent of those changes will compel companies to reshape their organizational structures and rethink their talent-management strategies in profound ways. The implications will be far reaching, not only for industries but also for individuals and society. Firms that respond adroitly will be best positioned to harness GenAI’s productivity-boosting potential while mitigating the risk posed by talent shortages.   I hope you will take the time to explore this latest collaboration between the The Burning Glass Institute and the Harvard Business School Project on Managing the Future of Work. I am grateful to BGI colleagues Benjamin Francis, Erik Leiden, Nik Dawson, Harin Contractor, Gad Levanon, and Gwynn Guilford for their work on this project. https://lnkd.in/ekattaQA #ai #artificialintelligence #humanresources #careers #management #futureofwork

Key takeaways from Mary Meeker's (340 page!) 2025 AI Trends report: 1. The Job market is actively reshaping with data showing a dramatic divergence in the labor market. Since January 2018, job postings in the USA requiring AI skills have skyrocketed by +448%, while non-AI IT job postings have declined by -9%. 2. It's about augmentation AND replacement. While the cliche that "You're not going to lose your job to an AI, but you're going to lose your job to somebody who uses AI" may be somewhat true, it's also true that companies are exploring agents to perform work, and this will have an impact on human jobs. HR and L&D need to really kick upskilling and integration into gear, empowering the workforce to use AI as a tool for productivity. 3. Company mandates on AI use are becoming the norm. Leading tech companies are no longer suggesting AI adoption - they're requiring it. Shopify now considers "reflexive AI usage" a "baseline expectation" for all employees. Duolingo is officially "AI-first," stating that AI use will be part of performance reviews and that new headcount will only be approved if a team cannot first automate its work. AI strategy starts at the top and leaders need to lead by example. 4. Employees are already seeing the benefits of AI - a survey of employed U.S. adults found that over 72% of those using AI chatbots at work say the tools are "extremely" or "very" helpful for doing things more quickly and improving the quality of their work. No surprise there, with the exception that perhaps the number should be higher than 72%. 5. The next generation of talent is AI-Native. Today's students are already leveraging AI for career readiness. A survey of 18-24 year-olds showed top use cases for ChatGPT include starting projects, summarizing texts, and career-related writing. Recruitment and onboarding strategies must adapt to a talent pool that expects AI tools from day one. So what does this all mean for HR and Talent leaders? This report signals a clear need to: 🚀 Rethink job descriptions & skill requirements - are you hiring for AI literacy? 🚀 Transform L&D - is your upskilling strategy focused on experiential learning and practical AI application or is it limited to online learning? 🚀 Update performance management - how will you measure and reward effective AI usage? 🚀 Adapt recruiting - how are you preparing to attract and retain an AI-native workforce? I don't think you can afford to take a "wait and see" approach. What are you and your company doing to get ahead and take full advantage of the benefits AI has to offer? Check out the full report here: https://lnkd.in/ed7j4Wi7 #AI #FutureOfWork #HumanResources #TalentAcquisition #Leadership

AI is fundamentally reshaping our workforce, but the impacts are nuanced. The latest report, “Potential Labor Market Impacts of Artificial Intelligence: An Empirical Analysis,” by The White House Council of Economic Advisers, provides critical insights for leaders that will impact everyone's future.. 📊 Key Findings: ✅ 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐧 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡-𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐀𝐈-𝐄𝐧𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐑𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐬 Roles requiring advanced AI skills have increased by 30% over the last five years. Positions such as AI ethics officers and data scientists are on the rise, indicating a shift toward more complex, creative work. Occupations that integrate AI effectively are growing twice as fast as average, suggesting AI's role in complementing human skills rather than replacing them. ❌ 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡 𝐑𝐢𝐬𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐉𝐨𝐛 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐋𝐨𝐰-𝐒𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐑𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐬 40% of current jobs are at risk due to high AI exposure but low skill requirements, particularly in administrative and routine manual tasks. These jobs are declining at a rate of 2% annually. Sectors like customer service and data entry are vulnerable, raising concerns about job security and economic stability in these fields. 📍 Regional Disparities: ✅ 𝐎𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡 𝐇𝐮𝐛𝐬 Tech-centric regions like Silicon Valley show a high concentration of new, AI-driven job creation, reflecting significant economic opportunities for those regions. Urban centers with strong tech clusters are emerging as key players in AI employment, driving innovation and growth. ❌ 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐑𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 Rural areas and smaller towns are facing increased risks of job losses due to AI, without comparable opportunities for new AI-driven roles. This geographic imbalance could exacerbate regional economic disparities. 👉 Here are my questions for Leaders: 1️⃣ Are we ready to leverage AI’s potential while minimizing risks? How are we preparing our teams for a future where AI enhances human capability? 2️⃣ What is our reskilling strategy? With 40% of jobs potentially vulnerable, how are we investing in upskilling our workforce to transition into growth-oriented roles? 3️⃣ How can we balance geographic and economic disparities? Are we focusing enough on regional strategies to ensure inclusive growth? As leaders, our role is to harness AI's potential to foster a resilient, inclusive, and dynamic workforce. Are we ready to lead this change and shape the future of work?

𝗧𝗟;𝗗𝗥: History shows AI's impact on jobs will follow a familiar pattern of disruption and growth, but on a compressed 10-15 year timeline. Understanding past technological transitions helps us prepare for both the challenges and opportunities ahead. This is part 3 on the #EconomicsofAI. In one of prior posts (https://bit.ly/40tVLRI), I wrote about the history of economic value generation in tech transformations. But what does AI do for jobs? Read on: Looking at 250 years of technological disruption reveals a consistent pattern that will likely repeat with AI, just faster. My analysis of employment data across four major technological waves shows something fascinating: while specific jobs decline initially, total employment ultimately grows significantly – often 2-3x higher than pre-disruption levels. Here's what history tells us about AI's likely impact on jobs: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗘𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗪𝗮𝘃𝗲: • 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 (𝟭𝟳𝟲𝟬-𝟭𝟴𝟰𝟬): 40% initial job decline, 80 years to full transformation • 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 (𝟭𝟴𝟳𝟬-𝟭𝟵𝟭𝟰): 30% decline, 44 years to transform • 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 (𝟭𝟵𝟱𝟬-𝟭𝟵𝟴𝟬): 25% decline, 30 years • Digital Revolution (1980-2000): 15% decline, 20 years • 𝗔𝗜 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 (𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰-𝟮𝟬𝟯𝟱): Projected 20% initial disruption, 10-15 years to transform 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗜 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗽𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗲𝘀: • 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰-𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲: 𝗜𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗿𝘂𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 Expect focused impact on knowledge workers, particularly in areas like content creation, analysis, & routine cognitive tasks. Unlike previous waves that started with manual labor, AI begins with cognitive tasks. • 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲-𝟮𝟬𝟯𝟬: 𝗥𝗮𝗽𝗶𝗱 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 New job categories emerge rapidly as AI enables new business models. Just as the internet created roles like SEO specialists & social media managers, AI will spawn entirely new professional categories. • 𝟮𝟬𝟯𝟬-𝟮𝟬𝟯𝟱: 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 Employment should exceed pre-AI levels as the economy reorganizes around AI capabilities, similar to how manufacturing employment grew 4x during the Second Industrial Revolution. 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝘄𝗮𝘃𝗲𝘀: • Digital infrastructure already exists • Global talent pool can adapt more quickly • Market pressures demand faster adoption This will only happen if we treat AI as Augmented Intelligence! 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀: The data shows that organizations that invest in workforce transformation during disruption emerge strongest. Focus on: • Identifying which roles will transform vs. disappear • Building internal training using resources from Anthropic Amazon Web Services (AWS) etc. • Creating new job categories that combine human+AI capabilities • Planning for the growth phase

Thinking about AI's impact on jobs often gets oversimplified. People tend to picture our world operating the same, but with AI stepping in to take over some tasks. This view misses the bigger picture. What really unfolds is that companies gain new abilities through AI. This sparks positive job growth. Historically, there’s been a substantial gap between small and large companies. Big companies typically have all the specialist teams they need—engineers for innovation, marketers for outreach, and legal, supply chain, and compliance experts for issues beyond their core. Smaller companies often can’t compete because they lack these resources. It’s a huge hurdle for starting up or scaling quickly. AI agents level the playing field, giving small businesses access to enterprise-level resources. This means smaller firms can grow faster and experiment more. Startups can now launch marketing campaigns, conduct market research, deliver new features, manage sales, and provide customer support—ways that were hard to afford before. In the past, though some tasks might have been outsourced or done in-house, many either weren't up to par or just didn’t happen. With this boost, small companies will actually create more jobs. They'll need people for roles that AI can't fill, in various support areas. AI isn’t just about replacing jobs; it’s about enabling businesses to do more, leading to job growth in areas AI can’t cover. #ai #jobs

What is the impact of AI on productivity and jobs? I get this question everywhere I go, from people at every title and tenure: from early career professionals through the most senior executives. Today, we take a great leap forward in answering the question with the launch of PwC's 2025 AI Jobs Barometer: The Fearless Future. What a story it tells!   We looked at nearly one billion job ads and thousands of company financial reports across 24 countries on six continents. Since the explosion of Gen AI, industries most "exposed" to AI (i.e., they have the greatest potential to use it), have three times (3x) higher growth in revenue per employee. In contrast, productivity growth in industries where deploying AI is more difficult ... it has flatlined. Every day, I hear insights and experiences about how AI is changing the way we work. The AI Jobs Barometer builds on these observations, providing the evidence in support of those experiences: it doesn't just feel like AI is revolutionizing the workplace, it actually is. In every one of the 80+ sectors we studied, the use of AI was increasing. And while there is reorganization and disruption, the data tells us that jobs are not disappearing, they're growing, with job growth happening across all sectors including those with the most exposure to AI. And upskilling in the Age of AI may feel more challenging given the pace, but it's paying off. Workers with AI skills are more sought after than ever, and they command significant wage premiums across sectors and geographies. Enterprises are working to move as quickly as the tech is advancing, with AI as a value play: not just powerful use cases, but true enterprise level integration and transformation. Remarkably, this is just the beginning, as agents have emerged as our transformative workforce of the future, combining the insights of AI with the action of agents. As they say, "this is a developing story," but our AI Jobs Barometer tells a story of growth and opportunity. This is the second year for the AI Jobs Barometer, and it's a privilege and pleasure to sponsor it with our Global Workforce Leader, Peter Brown MBE. Unlocking the value of AI is, of course, about driving the technology agenda. But it's also about how we as leaders rise to the challenge: How to drive the changes in working practices and culture that will multiply AI's value - not just for organizations, but for our people too. A huge thanks to Sarah Brown and the entire team for doing the hard work to bring this perspective to our clients and the market.   Take a look at the findings, and let me know what you think: https://pwc.to/3YTkyPa  Matt Wood | Scott Likens | Umang Paw | Rusbeh Hashemian | Bivek Sharma | Dan Priest | Matt Labovich | Bret Greenstein | Vishy Narayanan | Jennifer Kosar | Ilana Golbin Blumenfeld | Shivani Tailor | Carolina Saludes | Lauren Doherty | Luke Warwick | Paloma Lee | Dr. Charley Sehyo Choe | Daghan Or | Marc Borggreven | Keisha Roderick

The biggest change affecting my job and yours: (how you can not just keep up but rise ahead) AI is reshaping all. But top professionals are using it to jump ahead. Don't fear AI replacing you. Do this instead: 1. Master the language of AI in your field: All: Learn how AI applies to and can enhance your specific role. Coders: Understand AI to guide its development and possibilities. 2. Become the expert AI can't replace: Solve unprecedented problems AI hasn't been trained for. Develop skills that complement AI rather than compete with it. 3. Embrace AI as your powerful assistant: Use AI to boost productivity and tackle complex tasks. Guide AI with best practices and experience in your field. 4. Level up your skills continuously: Education is adapting. Be ready for real-time, AI-assisted testing. Stay ahead: What a 10th grader can do with AI will surprise you. 5. Understand AI's limits and potential: AI disrupts industries but can't replace top-tier expertise. Use it as a tool, keep innovating, and you'll rise above the rest. AI literacy is key to long-term career growth across all fields. As AI needs human guidance to create what's never been done before. P.S. Thanks Richard Socher for such an awesome conversation!