AI is Rewriting Work: It Will Inevitably End. So, Now What?

The Truth We Don’t Want to Face About AI and Robots: the are coming for Our Jobs—All of Them

Intro

This is the article I don’t want to write. I wrote it. So this is the article I didn't? want to write but wrote anyway.?

Why? Frankly, it’s too devastating, too unsettling, and yet, I know I must share it. Because as much as we like to minimize the impact of AI—telling ourselves, and each other, that it will still “need people,” that we’ll just “co-work” with AI and everything will be fine—it’s time to face a harsh truth.?

That notion that we shouldn’t worry about AI taking our jobs? Let’s get real—it’s complete nonsense.

I talk to dozens of companies every week, and many of them employ thousands of people. Here’s the harsh truth: a lot of these people are doing tasks that AI already handles better, faster, and 1001 times more efficiently.

A lot? Why not: all of these people? AI doesn’t need coffee breaks. It doesn’t clock out at 5. It doesn’t get tired or distracted. It works 24/7, improving itself continuously.

Organizations

We call these companies “organizations,” but let’s be honest—many of them barely deserve the term. Sure, they’re organized, but in a painfully sub-optimal way.

Humans work in departments, in silos. Between people, departments, and silos, inefficiencies stack up like a house of cards. Hierarchies pile more inefficiency on top. We’re talking massive amounts of wasted energy, lost productivity, and idle capacity. And how do companies try to fix this? They talk about ‘breaking down silos,’ creating ‘self-steering teams,’ or experimenting with ‘holocracy.’ Nice, but let’s face the fact that human interactions will never be perfect.

I am perfectly serious when I suggest that in 10 years or less, one advanced AI will be able to handle all of those variables, compute at mind-blowing speeds, and run the whole company. Not just a few jobs. The entire enterprise.

Picture this: global banks run by maybe 20 humans and an AI. It’s not science fiction. It’s the future knocking on the door—and it’s coming much faster than we’re ready for.

The appetizer

AI is about to devour entire industries, and banks are just the appetizer.

Let’s start with an image: a sleek, AI-driven bank with no tellers, no offices, and barely any humans on the payroll. Just a few top-level decision-makers—let’s say 20 people—overseeing a system so efficient, so advanced, that it makes today’s traditional banks look like they’re operating out of the Stone Age. This isn’t some sci-fi dream. It’s not even a distant future. It’s right around the corner, and traditional banks are scrambling, though most of them don’t even realize they’re already on the menu.

We’re entering an era where AI won’t just tweak processes or enhance productivity. It’s going to consume entire industries, starting with banking. Why? Because the core tasks of running a bank—processing transactions, assessing risks, managing portfolios—are already being handled by algorithms. AI doesn’t just do it faster. It does it better. And unlike humans, it doesn’t need sleep, doesn’t get caught up in bureaucracy, and certainly doesn’t take coffee breaks.

Think about it: an AI can process billions of data points, instantly calculate risks, and provide personalized financial advice without a moment’s hesitation. Meanwhile, traditional banks are still bogged down by legacy systems, human error, and inefficiency stacked like dominoes across departments. A 21st-century AI bank will run with lightning speed, predicting market shifts, adapting in real time, and offering a level of service that will make today’s customer experience seem laughable.

Breakfast

Banks are just the first course. AI is going to eat industries for breakfast, and no sector is safe. Think about manufacturing—machines are already smarter, faster, and more reliable than human workers. Next, think of healthcare, where AI will diagnose faster than any doctor, prescribing treatments with precision that makes human error seem archaic. In marketing, AI is already optimizing ads, analyzing consumer behavior, and generating strategies at a speed no human could match. Across every industry, AI won’t just be a tool—it will become the industry itself.

AI WON'T BE JUST A TOOL -IT WILL BECOME THE INDUSTRY ITSELF.

This isn’t just a warning shot for the financial sector; it’s a full-scale alarm for every industry. AI will displace the old guard, sweeping away any company clinging to outdated models and inefficient processes. The industries that survive will be the ones that embrace AI not as a tool, but as the very engine of their business.

In the same way that digital transformed industries over the past two decades, AI is about to do the same—only this time, the transformation will be faster and more brutal. It’s not going to wait around for companies to catch up. If you think AI is going to gently co-exist with traditional industries, think again. AI eats inefficiency for breakfast, and if your company is still running on human-heavy processes, you’re next on the menu.

So yes, AI is going to steal jobs. But more than that, it’s going to steal industries. The future won’t just belong to the companies that adapt; it will belong to the ones that rebuild themselves from the ground up, with AI at the core. The rest? They’ll be history.

Executives

20 top-end executives? Really?

Not even close. Executives might think they’re sitting safely in their corner offices, watching AI do the grunt work, but here’s the harsh reality: AI isn’t just coming for the back office—it’s coming for the C-suite too.

The old narrative goes like this: AI will handle the repetitive tasks, the data crunching, the processes that don’t require “strategic thinking.” CEOs, CFOs, COOs—the decision-makers—will still be needed to steer the ship, right? Wrong. The truth is, AI is already far more capable of making data-driven decisions, running complex simulations, and executing strategies that would take human executives months, or even years, to figure out.

Think about what a CEO does: make decisions based on limited data, manage risk, drive the company’s vision. AI can absorb infinite data, eliminate biases, and predict risks with unparalleled accuracy. The CEO’s greatest skill—decision-making—is what AI is built to do, only it does it faster, without emotion, and without needing to ‘sleep on it.’

The CFO? AI can analyze financials in real-time, optimizing cash flow and investment strategies with algorithms that outperform any human. The COO? AI doesn’t just run operations, it anticipates bottlenecks and reroutes processes before a human COO even knows there’s a problem. The CMO? AI already predicts consumer trends better than any executive with a marketing MBA. The CTO? Well, AI can code, troubleshoot, and innovate at a pace no human tech lead can match.

Even the innovation manager is at risk. While humans tinker with ideas and test prototypes, AI is running millions of simulations in real time, generating new products and processes faster than any human-led R&D team could dream of.

And then there's HR. If executives think human judgment and emotional intelligence will save them, they should think again. AI can analyze behavior, track performance, and recommend promotions or terminations without a hint of bias. TBy the way: who needs HR when there is no Human around anymore?

The boardroom full of executives could be reduced to a lean team overseeing AI's decisions, not making them.

So, executives might be thinking, “Yes, AI is taking jobs, but I’m safe up here.” That’s the dangerous comfort zone. AI is not just the future of entry-level work; it’s the future of all work, and that includes the top-level strategists who think they’re immune. In fact, if any group should be sweating bullets, it’s the ones at the top who’ve built careers on making decisions—because decision-making is exactly what AI does best.

The bottom line? AI isn’t coming to assist the C-suite. It’s coming to replace it. Safe? Not even close. The only question is, will executives realize it before AI eats their lunch?

Match made in...

AI may be grabbing all the headlines, but let’s not forget its partner-in-crime: robots. Together, AI and robotics are a match made not in heaven, but in the fertile ground of human brains. And the reality? They’re coming for labor jobs, and they’re coming fast. The future isn’t just about AI taking over desks—it’s about robots taking over factory floors, warehouses, and every labor-intensive industry we’ve ever known.

Let’s talk about black factories. If you haven’t heard the term before, get familiar with it, because it’s going to be the future of manufacturing. Black factories are fully automated, lights-out operations—literally. These factories run without the need for human intervention, so there’s no point in keeping the lights on. No workers mean no lunch breaks, no shifts, no sleep. Robots and AI work seamlessly around the clock, performing tasks more efficiently and precisely than any human ever could.

These aren’t just distant ideas. They’re already happening. In industries from automotive to electronics, factories are increasingly run by robots. The precision welding? Done by a machine. The assembly line? Automated. Even quality control—once the job of a human eye—is now handled by advanced AI and robots that detect flaws no human would ever see.

And as these robots become more sophisticated, the need for human labor in traditional factory jobs will evaporate. Sure, we’ll need a few technicians here and there to maintain the machines. But the hundreds, even thousands, of jobs once needed to keep a factory running? Gone.

It’s not just factory work either. Next—one of the biggest employers worldwide—is next on the chopping block. With AI-driven robots handling everything from inventory management to loading and unloading shipments, warehouses are moving towards a fully automated future. Amazon is already employing robots that zoom around fulfillment centers, retrieving items and preparing them for shipment. And it won’t be long before robots drive the trucks, too.

For those holding out hope that robots and AI will “assist” rather than replace humans, it’s time for a reality check. This isn’t about augmentation. It’s about a full-scale takeover of labor jobs. Robots don’t get injured, don’t take breaks, and don’t ask for benefits or wages. From a purely business perspective, they’re an irresistible solution.

The match between AI and robotics was never going to be a fair fight for human labor. Humans invented this duo, and now they’re outpacing us in almost every corner of the working world. And let’s face it—this was inevitable. The moment we created machines smart enough to think and strong enough to work, we set ourselves up for this.

But before we get too nostalgic for the days of manual labor, let’s consider the upside. Black factories and fully automated logistics systems could free humans from jobs that are repetitive, dangerous, and soul-crushing. The big question, of course, is: What comes next?

What do humans do when labor jobs are a thing of the past? What role do we play in a world where AI and robots run industries with ruthless efficiency? This is the real challenge we need to confront. The match between AI and robotics has already been made. Now, it’s time for us to figure out how we, humans, evolve to thrive in a world where work, as we know it, no longer exists.

Sugarcoating

We can sugarcoat it all we want, but the fact is, we’re talking about billions of jobs that are simply disappearing. Maybe even…all jobs. Not in the distant future. Not in some far-off sci-fi scenario. But it is happening right now. The cold reality is that AI will replace many of the roles currently filled by people, and it won’t be a “collaborative” process—it’ll be a clean swap. Gone. Overnight.

We like to comfort ourselves with the belief that AI and robots will just make us more efficient. That it will be a tool we control, and we’ll work hand in hand with it, our skills augmented and enhanced. Nope. AI and robots don’t need our hands. Or our skills. They are already miles ahead of where we think they are. And while we’re busy reassuring ourselves that human creativity, human intuition, and human oversight will still be needed, AI is quietly surpassing those boundaries, too. Oops.

The truth is, I’ve seen the future, and it’s not one where humans and AI and robots share a peaceful, productive coexistence. It’s one where AI and robots do everything we thought only people could do, and do it better. Entire departments that once took hundreds of humans to run will soon be replaced by algorithms and robots that don’t sleep, don’t argue, and don’t need vacation days.

I know this is not what anyone wants to hear. I certainly don’t like saying it. But pretending that “AI and robots will need people” or that “we’ll just shift to co-working with AI and robots” is delaying the inevitable. It’s a comforting lie we tell ourselves because we can’t handle the full weight of what’s coming.

The question

The reality? AI and robots will outperform us. In all tasks, in all industries, and in ways we can’t even fully predict yet. The jobs you think are safe? They’re not. We’re entering a world where efficiency and speed rule, where AI can process, calculate, and create faster and more precisely than any human ever could and where robots execute gaster and more precisely too.

It’s time to stop kidding ourselves. The future of work won’t be about humans and AI and robots working side by side. It will be about AI leading the charge, and those who don’t adapt—those who can’t find a new role, a new way to add value that AI can’t—will be left behind.

The question we should be asking isn’t how to make peace with AI, but how to prepare for a future where AI dominates, and what role, if any, humans will have in that world.

This is the cold, hard truth. And it’s time we start acknowledging it.

The messenger

People often confuse my bringing the inconvenient truth with me being some kind of AI and robots evangelist, as if I’m standing here waving the AI flag with a big grin. Let’s clear that up: I’m not the root cause of this upheaval.

It’s not that I’m a fan of AI and robots or that I want to see thousands of jobs vanish overnight. I’m not sitting here celebrating the efficiency of an algorithm replacing human creativity or decision-making. But pretending this shift isn’t happening won’t change a thing. I’m just calling it as I see it—AI is reshaping the world, whether we like it or not. Ignoring it won’t stop it; shooting the messenger won’t slow it down.

My job is to shine a light on the uncomfortable truths, not to cheerlead for technology. The future is barreling toward us, and I’m simply standing at the intersection, pointing out the inevitable collisions ahead. It’s up to all of us to figure out what comes next.

You may ask: Now what?

Now what?

The honest answer is...I have no clue. None of us do. We’re standing on the edge of a cliff, staring into the unknown, armed with nothing but old tools that are utterly useless for the problems ahead. AI isn’t just a challenge—it’s a wicked problem, the kind where every solution creates more questions, more complexities, more unintended consequences. There are no off-the-shelf answers, no quick fixes. The comforting frameworks that got us here? They don’t work anymore.

What we need to do is stop trying to solve it with the same mindset that built the problem in the first place. We need to experiment, stumble, fall, and figure out what might become an answer to that ever-looming now what? We need to embrace uncertainty and realize that the process of trying is the only viable strategy. The solutions to this new world won’t come from a manual—they’ll come from relentless curiosity, trial, and error.

This isn’t about finding the perfect answer. It’s about making peace with the fact that there may never be one.

The answer

Maybe the real answer isn’t in trying to outpace AI or cling to the jobs it’s going to take, but in accepting that AI is liberating us from the need for jobs altogether. For the first time in history, we might be on the brink of escaping the ancient survival loop that’s defined Homo Sapiens for millennia: work to earn money to survive. AI is not just eating jobs, it’s chewing through the very concept of work as we know it, and that could be our biggest opportunity yet.

Think about it. For centuries, human existence has revolved around labor. The Industrial Revolution made us believe in productivity as a form of identity, where “a good day’s work” meant not just money in your pocket, but validation of your place in society. But now, AI and robots are eliminating the need for humans to do the vast majority of tasks that once consumed our time. Tasks that were seen as essential to keeping society moving—banking, logistics, accounting, manufacturing and even managing entire corporations—are no longer reliant on human hands, or even human brains.

Instead of clinging to outdated systems and worrying about where the next paycheck will come from, we could finally ask the question: what if we didn’t need to work to make a living? What if AI didn’t just take jobs, but freed us from the very need to have one? Perhaps this is where Homo Sapiens evolve into something new—into a species no longer defined by the grind for survival.

Step one

The first step is acceptance. We need to accept that AI and robots will outstrip us in many areas we once held sacred. It’s not about adaptation or re-skilling to work alongside AI and robots—it’s about letting go of the idea that our value comes from how much we can work. AI and robots are creating a reality where work isn’t the center of human life anymore. In this new world, we might be liberated from the traditional definition of ‘earning a living.’ Universal basic income, new forms of value creation, and a complete reimagining of what it means to contribute to society could emerge as a result.

It’s not hard to imagine a future where AI and robots run the companies, manages resources, and drives innovation, while humans focus on creativity, exploration, and connection. Instead of working 9-to-5, we might invest time in the arts, in philosophy,... We could be on the verge of escaping Homo Sapiens, evolving into a species that transcends the survival-based existence that has shaped us for thousands of years.

Gigantic leap

Of course, this transition won’t be easy. It’s hard to let go of something as ingrained in us as the need to work for survival. But AI and robotization are forcing us to confront a reality we’ve long avoided: jobs, as we know them, are a construct of a specific time and place in history. As AI and robotization dismantle that construct, we have to be ready to embrace the possibilities it opens up.

This is the next gigantic leap in human evolution—perhaps the leap beyond Homo Sapiens. It’s not about becoming more efficient or smarter at managing data. It’s about rethinking the very foundation of human existence and realizing that maybe, just maybe, AI and robotiaztion are setting us free. The question isn’t how we’ll keep our jobs; it’s how we’ll redefine what it means to live a meaningful life without them.

Your dreamer

Rik