New Job Opportunities Created by AI Disruption

AI might automate tasks, but it’s about to expand the demand for human judgment, taste, and accountability I just read Robert Capps’ latest piece in The New York Times and it’s one of the most insightful takes on how AI is creating the next wave of jobs. And no, it’s not just about engineers We’re now hiring for entirely new roles 🧠 AI Translators who connect technology to business strategy 🔍 Trust Auditors who verify what the models generate 🎨 Experience Designers who define not just UX, but brand, voice, and even AI personality 🤝 Escalation Officers who step in when the machine misses the mark 🛠️ Integration Architects who make all the tools work together As the Global Head of AI at ZRG, I see this firsthand. The most forward-thinking companies are not chasing tools. They are building entire AI ecosystems around people with emotional intelligence, systems thinking, ethical clarity, and a clear point of view AI will drive speed and efficiency, but it is still humans who define what matters If you are a business leader It is time to shift the question from “How can we replace people with AI” to “What are the new roles AI makes possible, and who do we need to hire to fill them” If you are a candidate Start positioning your experience toward these trust, orchestration, and creative direction roles. This is your moment to lead if you know how to guide AI, not just use it We are not phasing humans out. We are calling them up. And we are redefining what it means to be irreplaceable Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/eaRqiufS #AIJobs #FutureOfWork #Leadership #Recruiting #TalentStrategy #ZRG #EliteRecruiter #AIintegration #TrustAndTaste #HumanInTheLoop #CareerStrategy

It’s time to advance the AI debate beyond binary, zero sum analyses and take lessons - and encouragement - from the emergence of a flexible, capable, AI-savvy workforce segment in real time: freelancers. A recent The New York Times article explores a growing question in the age of AI: Are junior roles most at risk of automation, or are experienced, high-paid employees more vulnerable, especially if they’re slow to adopt new tools? The answer has big implications for how companies build teams. On Upwork, we’re seeing an alternative future emerge: companies hiring at an increased clip — specifically expanding their hiring of AI-capable freelance talent to supplement existing FTE teams and turbocharge their business evolution for the AI era. Freelancers represent a growing segment of the labor force (already more than a third of US knowledge workers) — and are disproportionately AI-savvy. There were a quarter of a million of these AI expert freelancers earning on our platform in the last year alone - and they represent an important talent pool that is supplementing traditional employment with more flexible talent models. In sum: companies’ AI strategies are not simply trading off employees for AI — they are creating net new hiring opportunities that cater to a different, more flexible, and AI-educated population. These freelancers are using their AI expertise to help companies move faster and adapt smarter. According to our research, 88% of freelancers say AI has positively impacted their careers. They’re combining human expertise with AI tools to deliver value where it’s needed most. And business demand reflects this shift. In the first quarter of 2025, AI-related work on our platform grew 25% year over year, with growth not only in technical roles like AI development but also in non-technical areas like design, project management, and corporate law. These freelancers are not only in demand—they’re earning a premium for their skills. Our discourse needs to move beyond choosing between junior or senior talent or debating who’s most at risk. We are seeing the emergence of a more adaptive and resilient workforce in real time. Freelancers are modeling that future—AI-enabled, flexible, and built for what’s next. Check out the links to the New York Times article and Upwork research in comments. #FutureOfWork #Freelancers #AI #WorkforceTransformation #UpworkResearch

While much AI and jobs coverage focuses on disappearing roles, it's refreshing to see The NYTimes Magazine highlight job creation in line with The World Economic Forum's prediction of 78 million jobs AI will create. With the widely accepted estimations that for every job killed by AI, three or four will be created, we come to this: 78 million is the WEF’s net number, bringing us to 100 million or more, gross. What types of jobs will be sought after? 💼 Trainers, says the WEF, “are the people developing AI: engineers and scientists working on the large language models (LLMs) on which generative AI tools such as ChatGPT depend.” Additionally, AI development involves more than just programmers; demand engineers, predicts the WEF’s Jobs of Tomorrow 2024 report. 💼 Explainers - Trainers work behind the scenes while explainers interact with users to help them understand and use AI. They design interfaces for smooth interactions and can be considered "user experience (UX) designers," says the Forum. 💼 Sustainers will ensure optimal AI use by focusing on three functions: (1) Content creators will exercise prompt engineering, (2) Data curators will ensure LLMs receive high-quality data, and (3) Ethics and governance specialists will ensure LLMs operate without bias, harm, or unethical behavior, rigorously testing before public release. This may lead to the emergence of AI safety and regulatory officers. This is what we received from the WEF in January 2024. When reassessed today, it proves to be quite insightful, providing us with strong guidance for the decisions we have no choice but to make. The article in The New York Times Magazine lists 22 New Ones It Could Give You. https://archive.is/iR912 [Link to article] #AI #Jobs #Hiring

Really - AI Won't Take your Job! Every expert/thought leader we hear these days says AI will kill jobs, especially in coding. Let's set the record straight: AI isn't eliminating roles—it's upgrading them. By 2028, Gartner predicts 75% of software engineers will rely on AI tools. Here's what's happening: Development Engineer → AI Development Engineer Data Analyst → AI Data Scientist Systems Architect → AI Architect Software Tester → Model Validator Business Analyst→ Decision Engineer UX/UI Designer → AI UX Designer The Best Part Software Engineers --> Prompting Managers which means really YOU, Me and anyone who is creative, patient enough to learn the ability to manipulate AI to give us the desired accurate output 😁 Think of it like moving from clunky messaging apps to WhatsApp: smoother, faster, smarter! Fortune notes 77% of executives already see productivity gains from AI. J.P. Morgan highlights generative AI can cut coding costs by 35%—but workloads might jump 55% to keep up revenues. Jobs aren't disappearing; they're shifting toward strategic roles like prompt engineering and critical code reviews. In fact, Gartner reports 67% of mature AI companies are creating entirely new roles, with 87% forming dedicated AI teams. The World Economic Forum agrees, predicting AI will create 97 million jobs by 2030, more than offsetting potential losses. But here's the catch: entry-level tech hiring has dropped by 50% since 2019, according to SignalFire. Newcomers face real challenges unless they proactively adapt. Bottom Line: Adapt Now and we will be Fine! Dont loose sleep, be creative and learn to prompt 🙏

Thank you, Aishwarya Srinivasan for a truly wonderful session on Unlocking AI Careers for Non-Coders. AI can feel overwhelming for many, but the way you explained its impact focusing on how it enhances rather than overtakes our careers was thoughtful and refreshing. You kept it clear, practical, and avoided overwhelming us with jargon or buzzwords. Here are my key takeaways from the session: 1️⃣ AI is a Collaborative Ecosystem AI isn’t just about coding or algorithms. It thrives on diverse roles like Product Management, UX Design, Marketing, Ethics & Governance, and Customer Success. Every skill has a place and purpose in building impactful AI solutions. 2️⃣ Opportunities for Non-Coders It was eye-opening to see the range of roles where coding isn’t required but strategic thinking, problem-solving, and creativity are key. Roles no name a few: • AI Product Manager • Prompt Engineer • AI Strategist • Customer Success Manager show us how we can leverage our existing skills to contribute meaningfully to AI. 3️⃣ AI Isn’t Taking Over—It’s Transforming Careers Your insights broke the myth that AI replaces jobs. Instead, it augments our capabilities and creates new opportunities, particularly in areas like strategy, ethics, and business operations. 4️⃣ Accessible for Everyone AI is no longer just for big tech companies, it’s democratized, empowering small businesses, entrepreneurs, and professionals to innovate and grow. The Biggest Realization: AI isn’t something to fear; it’s something to embrace. If you’re a thinker, a leader, a designer, or a strategist, there’s room for you in the AI revolution. Thank you for a session that left us informed, empowered, and ready to explore our roles in this exciting future. #AI #Future #Innovation

Stop listening to the "AI is taking our jobs" hype. AI is 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 our jobs. The real picture? 𝘈𝘶𝘨𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵. Here are some steps for learning (human-machine performance) leaders: 1. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 "𝗛𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗔𝗜" 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹 Forget firing instructional designers or trainers. Think about making them hyper-productive with AI. The new model is one L&D professional managing a team of AI agents, drastically increasing their output and impact on employee growth. It's about leverage, not layoffs. 2. 𝗢𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘇𝗲, 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗔𝗱𝗱 Right now, we're in a transition period. The focus is on using AI to optimize current L&D workflows, like content curation and knowledge checks. But as the cost of "intelligence" drops, L&D teams won't just do the same training for cheaper. They'll expand their reach, personalize learning at scale, and offer more sophisticated learning experiences. This creates more opportunities for strategic human oversight. 3. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗥𝗼𝗹𝗲: 𝗛𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻-𝗠𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗔𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘀𝘁 An instructional designer can become "six of themselves" by using AI agents to rapid prototype course modules or personalize learning pathways for diverse employee needs. Your value won't be in manually creating content. It will be in your adult learning expertise, your ability to design effective learning experiences (backed by learning science), and your skill in managing AI to execute your strategic vision for human-machine performance. 4. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗜𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘪𝘨𝘨𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘬 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘓&𝘋? Failing to learn how to leverage these AI tools to create more impactful and scalable learning solutions. The future belongs to L&D professionals who can effectively manage AI automations and agents to enhance their ability to foster growth and development across the organization. Don't fear AI. Learn it. Master it. Use it to become a more strategic and impactful leader in Human-Machine Performance. Do any of these resonate? How are you exploring AI to enhance your L&D initiatives?

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

📌 “𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗖𝗹𝘂𝗲𝘀 𝗢𝗻 𝗔𝗜’𝘀 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗢𝗻 𝗝𝗼𝗯𝘀, 𝗪𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗧𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆’𝘀 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝗝𝗼𝗯𝘀”   I recently connected with Joe McKendrick to share my perspective on how AI is reshaping the tech workforce. Grateful to see our conversation featured in Forbes.   Joe underscores a point we’ve been emphasizing for months: 𝗔𝗜 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗲𝗿—𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗮 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗺𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗿.   It moves the constraint from compute cycles to the Human Intent Layer, where talent, judgement, and abstraction become the new premium.   Fresh labor signals back this up: 🔹450,000+ US tech openings (CompTIA) 🔹AI-related job postings nearly doubled YoY 🔹50%+ wage premium for AI-fluency (PwC) 🔹Revenue per employee rising 3x faster in AI-driven sectors 🔹12%+ of tech job ads now reference AI—and climbing (Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta)   As I note in the article, we’re not witnessing the end of software engineering—we’re seeing its evolution. Developers are becoming AI trainers, strategic integrators, and adaptive problem-solvers.   𝗖𝗼𝗱𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗶𝘁𝘆. What matters is how well we frame problems, guide systems, and turn intelligence into outcomes.   Thank you, Joe, for the thoughtful conversation. To other leaders: where do you see this shift heading?   📖 Read the full article linked below.   #AI #FutureOfWork #TechJobs #Leadership

AI and Job Losses: The Whole Picture The rise of AI is reshaping industries at an unprecedented pace, sparking widespread concern about job losses. Many fear that automation and generative AI will displace millions of workers, making traditional roles obsolete. While this disruption is real, the conversation often misses an equally important aspect: the jobs that AI is creating. Historically, technological advancements have always altered the job landscape—eliminating some roles while giving rise to new ones. The industrial revolution did not end employment; it transformed it. The same is happening with AI. Emerging fields such as AI ethics, machine learning operations, AI-powered customer service, and prompt engineering are creating opportunities we couldn’t have imagined a decade ago. Moreover, AI is enhancing productivity across industries, leading to the demand for new skills in healthcare, finance, manufacturing, and beyond. The net impact of AI on employment will likely depend on how we respond to this shift. If we invest in reskilling and upskilling workers, we may not see a net loss of jobs but rather a transition toward higher-skilled roles. Governments, corporations, and individuals must focus on lifelong learning and adaptability. The challenge is not just about job losses—it is about ensuring that people are equipped to move into the new roles AI is generating. Will AI eliminate jobs? Yes. But will it create new, often better-paying, and more fulfilling careers? Also yes. The question is whether we are ready to embrace this transformation. How do you see AI impacting your industry? Are we doing enough to prepare the workforce for this shift? Let’s discuss. #AI #FutureOfWork #Reskilling #JobMarket

AI's Bilateral Impact on the Economy and Society Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly reshaping the global economic landscape. It presents a classic "bilateral" scenario of significant job displacement alongside prolific job creation. This transformative wave, much like the historical shifts from vinyl to tapes to digital music, is set to redefine not only how we work but also the very fabric of our society. Understanding this duality is key to overcoming the challenges and harnessing the opportunities of the AI era.   Job Losses and Gains There's no denying AI's potential to automate a vast array of tasks currently performed by humans. Initial research and reports highlight a significant impact, particularly on roles that are repetitive, data-driven, or involve routine cognitive work. However, this is only one side of the coin. AI is also a powerful engine for job creation. The development, implementation, and maintenance of AI systems themselves are generating a surge in demand for skilled professionals. McKinsey estimates that AI could contribute trillions of dollars to the global economy, indicating a substantial potential for overall growth that can fuel new employment opportunities. AI is not just about replacing human labor. It is about fundamentally changing the nature of work and the types of jobs available.   Beyond the Balance Sheet The economic shifts driven by AI will inevitably lead to profound societal transformations. Several key areas are likely to be impacted: ➜ Shifting Skill Demands and Education ➜ Income Inequality and Social Safety Nets ➜ The Nature of Work and Work-Life Balance ➜ Ethical Considerations and Governance ➜ Healthcare and Quality of Life ➜ Human Interaction and Community Most Sought-After Jobs in a Decade Looking ahead ten years, the jobs most in demand will largely be those that either directly involve AI development and deployment or those that require uniquely human skills that AI cannot easily replicate. Based on current trends and expert predictions, these include: ➥ AI and Machine Learning Specialists/Engineers ➥ Data Scientists and Analysts ➥ AI Ethics and Governance Officers ➥ Robotics Engineers ➥ Cybersecurity Analysts ➥ Human-Machine Interaction Designers ➥ AI-Assisted Healthcare Professionals ➥ Personalized Learning Designers ➥ Creative Professionals (with AI augmentation) ➥ Jobs Requiring High Emotional Intelligence and Interpersonal Skills ➥ Climate Adaptation Engineers and Sustainability Specialists   Adaptation is Key The transition driven by AI, like all major technological shifts, will undoubtedly create disruptions. Some jobs will become obsolete, while new ones, many of which we can't even fully envision yet, will emerge. The key to navigating this transformation lies in adaptability, continuous learning, and a proactive approach from individuals, businesses, and governments. #ai #jobs #industryshift P.S. What are your thoughts?