Control, Shift

AI is changing jobs, not ending them. But workers will need to learn new skills

For many office workers, these are exciting times. New technology is creating huge fortunes, and some people think the world’s first trillionaire may not be far away. But there is also a lot of worry. Many people fear that AI could take their jobs. A recent survey found that more than half of Americans worry that they, or someone in their family, could lose work because of AI.

The concern is understandable. For a long time, many people believed there was a simple path to success: study science or technology, get into a good college, land a campus placement, and build a stable career. Now that path seems less certain. Companies are hiring differently. TCS chairman N Chandrasekaran has said that the days of hiring huge numbers of people are ending, and that future jobs will combine human intelligence with AI.

But does this mean most people will end up unemployed? Probably not. What we are seeing is a major change in the job market, not the end of work itself. Big changes like this have happened before. Someone who knew the world only in the 1940s would be surprised by many of today’s jobs. In the same way, we cannot yet imagine all the jobs that will exist in 2036. History suggests that new kinds of work will appear.

In fact, AI may create many new opportunities. The world economy is incredibly complicated. There are thousands of different products, services and industries. Today’s AI systems, such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude, are general-purpose tools. To do specific jobs in areas like manufacturing, transport or supply chains, they need to be trained and adapted. That work will require people.

Experts such as Chandrasekaran and SAP CEO Christian Klein believe that helping AI learn real-world tasks could become a huge new industry. Early signs are already visible in the computer hardware market. For years, attention focused on powerful chips used to train AI. Now there is growing demand for other types of chips that help AI work on practical tasks.

The future may be different, but that does not mean it is hopeless. New skills, retraining and some financial savings can help people get through the transition. AI is changing the world of work, but it is not making humans unnecessary.

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