The AI Paradox: How To Boost AI Usage Without Losing Your Job To It

“I imagine that soon enough, artificial intelligence will be able to recreate the sounds of the more than 100 voices I created for characters on The Simpsons over almost four decades.”?

That quote is from none other than Hank Azaria, the voice actor for iconic Simpsons characters Moe the bartender, Chief Wiggum and the Comic Book Guy. In a recent interview with the NY Times, Azaria shared his concerns about the potential threats artificial intelligence has on the future of his industry.

“In my case, A.I. could have access to 36 years of Moe. He’s appeared in just about every episode. I’ve laughed as Moe in dozens of ways. I’ve probably sighed as Moe 100 times. In terms of training A.I., that’s a lot to work with.”

It's no secret that the rise of AI is already impacting a wide range of industries in different ways. The story above suggests that Hollywood isn’t exempt from this reality.?

But recent news has shown that the tech sector is getting hit the hardest, resulting in mass layoffs and increasing the unemployment rate:

• In a report from the WSJ, the U.S. unemployment rate in the information technology sector rose from 3.9% in December to 5.7% in January. The number of unemployed IT workers rose from 98,000 to 152,000 over that during that same period.
• Last week Salesforce announced it was cutting 1000 jobs, while at the same time seeking to hire salespeople to sell their AI products.?
• That was shortly followed by Workday who announced they will be cutting approximately 1,750 jobs equating to 8.5% of its workforce, as the company doubles down on their AI investment.
• And Meta’s previously reported 2025 layoffs will take place this week. The tech giant said it’s cutting 5% of its workforce of 72,000 employees. The initial reports suggested the layoffs would target ‘low performers’, but it’s likely AI development is the cause as Meta’s owner Mark Zuckerburg aims to "work on building some of the most important technologies of the world" and sees “AI glasses as the next computing platform and the future of social media.”

“Jobs are being eliminated within the IT function which are routine and mundane, such as reporting, clerical administration,” said Victor Janulaitis, chief executive of Janco Associates, a management consulting firm specializing in the tech space. “As they start looking at AI, they’re also looking at reducing the number of programmers, systems designers, hoping that AI is going to be able to provide them some value and have a good rate of return.”

None of this was unexpected since AI tools like ChatGPT by OpenAI became mainstream. According to the World Economic’s 2025 Future of Jobs Report, 41% of companies worldwide said they expected to reduce their workforces over the next five years because of the rise of artificial intelligence.

“As they start looking at AI, they’re also looking at reducing the number of programmers, systems designers, hoping that AI is going to be able to provide them some value and have a good rate of return.”

- Victor Janulaitis, Janco Associates

It's not just the tech industry that’s receiving a significant hit from the rise in AI.? Bloomberg Intelligence reported that global banks may eliminate up to 200,000 positions over the next 3 to 5 years. Jobs that involve routine or repetitive tasks are most at risk.?

In June 2024, Citigroup reported that AI is likely to displace more jobs across the banking industry than in any other sector. They suggest that roughly 54% of jobs across banking have high potential to be automated.

Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan, said, “AI is likely to make dramatic improvements in workers’ quality of life, even if it eliminates some positions."

We Want More AI

But beyond the doom and gloom of these job market stats, workers want more access to AI technology in their daily work according to the 2024 Work Trend Index Annual Report from Microsoft and LinkedIn. Based on the report, 75% of knowledge workers use AI at work today. 90% say AI helps them save time. 85% say it helps them focus on their most important work. And 83% say AI helps them enjoy their work more.

?“The data is clear: People are overwhelmed with digital debt and under duress at work—and they are turning to AI for relief. The opportunity for every leader is to channel this momentum into ROI.” says the report.

With this in mind, the next question is obvious: How do we balance increasing our AI usage and capabilities with the risk of AI potentially taking away future career opportunities?

Begin AI-Proofing Your Career

First things first, we need to have a clear understanding of skills that cannot be replicated by artificial intelligence. We can start by developing or fine tuning soft skills that are uniquely human. Analytical thinking, flexible agility, leadership and influencing people, empathy and active listening, are among the most sought after core skills among employers.?

According to the World Economic Forum, 70% of global companies consider analytical thinking as essential in 2025. As organizations slowly adapt to automation driven by AI, soft skills like communication, creativity, logical reasoning, and teamwork will also be in high demand.?

“The introduction of new technologies like AI has catalyzed the shift in demand for specific skills, requiring employees to deepen their existing skill sets or acquire new ones. Many of these will be soft skills, the personal attributes and non-technical skills that describe how people work and interact with others,” said Katrina Haggarty, the spokesperson for Business Name Generator.?

As AI tools, like ChatGPT continue to transform the workplace with automation capabilities, it can’t replace critical soft skills like leadership, teamwork, effective communication and problem-solving with ethical considerations.

“The introduction of new technologies like AI has catalyzed the shift in demand for specific skills, requiring employees to deepen their existing skill sets or acquire new ones.”

- Katrina Haggarty, Business Name Generator.

Next, take personal responsibility and get familiar with specific roles and job functions most likely to be replaced by AI by 2030. Be your own career architect and make a plan to exit your current role if there’s potential for it to be replaced by AI. In an interview with The Weekly Show with John Stewart, Mark Cuban said he believes the fast-advancing technology will not impact jobs that require workers to think. "If your job is answering the question, 'yes or no,' all the time — AI is going to have an impact," he said. "If your job requires you to think — AI won't have much of an impact."?

Aside from the banking industry mentioned earlier, experts say sectors such as manufacturing, healthcare, and customer service will also be among the first to be affected. In manufacturing, automation can replace manual labor. In healthcare, AI can handle diagnostics and administrative tasks. And AI chatbots can manage simple inquiries in customer service.?

While those may be on the decline, jobs in big data, autonomous vehicle specialization, environmental engineering, UX design and project management are all on the rise. As AI continues to advance at a rapid rate, it's vital to stay informed and ahead of the curve when it comes to the status of specific job markets.

Lastly, we need to use AI as a copilot to drive business success. 66% of global leaders say they wouldn’t hire someone without AI skills. 71% say they’d rather hire a less experienced candidate with AI skills than a more experienced candidate without them (Microsoft/LinkedIn Report). That tells us that AI is more of a friend than foe in advancing our career.

But this doesn't mean organizational leaders are looking for candidates who use AI only for menial tasks. They want to hire AI innovators. Workers who can use the technology to unlock new ideas that result in value for the business.

If 49% of employees believe AI is advancing faster than their company's ability to train (survey from TalentLMS), opportunities will remain open for those who proactively upskill in all the advanced capabilities AI has to offer. Not just as a low level task sidekick.?

The Reality and Opportunity

Phrases like ‘evolving professionally’, making ‘career pivots’ and ‘upskilling’ all come to mind when considering how to approach this issue. It might come across as sounding stale and redundant, but history has shown that the introduction of new technology forces us to learn and adapt or miss out on using it to our advantage. (See personal computers in the 80’s, the internet in the 90’s and social media in the 2000’s.).

Our approach to AI should mirror that of the aforementioned Simpsons voice actor Hank Azaria who strikes the right balance between concern for AI’s abilities and identifying opportunities from its limitations.

“If I'm being honest, I am a little worried. This is my job. This is what I love to do, and I don’t want to have to stop doing it. [But] A misconception about voice acting is that it takes only a voice. I think we’ll still need someone who in his mind and heart and soul knows what needs to be done. Will the computer ever understand emotion on its own, what’s moving and what’s funny? A.I. can make the sound, but it will still need people to make the performance.”

References

Forbes. (2025, January 13). How AI revolution is driving 200,000 layoffs on Wall Street. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/chriswestfall/2025/01/13/how-ai-revolution-is-driving-200000-layoffs-on-wall-street/

Finance Yahoo. (2025, February 7). Salesforce cutting 1,000 roles. Retrieved from https://finance.yahoo.com/news/salesforce-cutting-1-000-roles-000658688.html

CCN. (2025). Tech layoffs to continue: Thousands handed pink slips as Big Tech doubles down on AI. Retrieved from https://www.ccn.com/news/technology/2025-tech-layoffs-to-continue-thousands-handed-pink-slips-as-big-tech-doubles-down-on-ai/

PYMNTS. (2025). Meta to begin previously announced workforce reduction. Retrieved from https://www.pymnts.com/meta/2025/meta-to-begin-previously-announced-workforce-reduction/

HR Dive. (2025). AI-ready companies upskill employees at all levels. Retrieved from https://www.hrdive.com/news/ai-ready-companies-upskill-employees-at-all-levels/738612/

eWeek. (2025). Jobs AI will replace. Retrieved from https://www.eweek.com/artificial-intelligence/jobs-ai-will-replace/#frequently-asked-questions-faqs

Wall Street Journal. (2025). IT unemployment rises to 5.7% as AI hits tech jobs. Retrieved from https://www.wsj.com/articles/it-unemployment-rises-to-5-7-as-ai-hits-tech-jobs-7726bb1b

New York Times. (2025, February 7). Are you worried about AI taking human jobs? Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/07/learning/are-you-worried-about-ai-taking-human-jobs.html

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this newsletter are my own and do not reflect the views of my employer or any affiliated organizations. The content shared is for informational purposes only and should not be considered professional or legal advice.