How Your Current Skills Will Help You Navigate AI Disruption

Upskilling is seen as the key to weathering the impending disruptions caused by the adoption of artificial intelligence technologies throughout the workforce. While that is — no doubt — important, recent reports suggest it will take much more than that to navigate changes that will likely arrive earlier than expected.

People will need to be nimble and rely on their existing skillsets starting this year to navigate AI disruptions in their industries and professions.

The good news is that many people have had to do this in the past — probably not at this scale or speed, but there is a solid playbook we can use to respond to AI disruptions. A key to success, though, is to start paying attention now to shifts within the labor market, our industries and more.

Over the next several weeks, I plan to dedicate this newsletter to this topic. We'll explore research suggesting we should already be paying attention to AI disruption; steps we can take to prepare ourselves for potential effects; where to look for useful skills training; and more.

In today's edition, I want to discuss the fact that AI's effects on the workforce are not something to address years from now. Instead, we need to confront the reality that this AI is already here, adding to disruptions caused by more established technology.

AI Is Not Only Arriving, It's Here

No crystal balls exist to tell us exactly how and when our careers will be disrupted by AI. Most professionals have likely already been somewhat affected by the technology, though. From retail clerks to lawyers, AI is in use throughout the labor market in many shapes and sizes.

In retail, for example, Saks is using an AI tool from Salesforce to augment the experience for their customers, such as recommending items and chatting with them. Meanwhile, law firms are using AI to discover information hidden in documents and to conduct legal research.

While there is no solid data suggesting that AI is already affecting the number of these jobs, it's easy to see how that may — at least — soon be the case. Do retailers need as many customer service representatives if they are only reserved for the most complicated or sensitive matters? Do law firms need to employ as many paralegals or legal secretaries if AI can almost instantly review decades of caselaw and more? Probably not.

Also, it's important to remember that the rollout of AI is not happening in a vacuum. Other technologies have been disrupting the workforce. Harvard University researchers claim in a recent paper that they observed recent changes in several industries and professions. Retail sales employment fell by 25% over the past decade, for example. Additionally, the researchers observed that employment stalled in low-paying service jobs.

AI will add to these transformations — likely earlier than first thought, suggests research from AI Impacts, an organization that studies the technology's effects on humanity. The organization published results last year of a 2023 survey they conducted among AI researchers, predicting there was a 50% chance that all work could be automated by 2116, which is 48 years earlier than when the survey was first conducted in 2022. Again, this is just a projection, but it does suggest the people keeping the closest eye on this technology see it advancing faster than expected.

Another factor to consider amid all of this data is that not all employers will wait for technology to be perfected before transitioning work away from humans. A recent report from the World Economic Forum found that 41% of employers surveyed said they planned to reduce staff whose skills are becoming less relevant or where roles are no longer needed between 2025 and 2030.

Skills Are Insurance Against AI Disruption

All of this data may seem confusing and a bit hopeless, we can draw valuable lessons from past technological disruptions. Throughout history, industries have faced significant changes due to advancements in technology and there is a solid playbook we can use to respond to AI disruptions. This historical playbook includes strategies and approaches that have helped individuals and organizations adapt to new technologies, maintain their relevance and thrive in uncertainty.

Examining these past disruptions caused by technologies like the internet, assembly lines and general digitalization, we can identify effective methods to prepare for and maneuver through changes brought on by AI.

We'll be diving into some of these techniques in the next edition of Get Hired. Additionally, we'll be discussing LinkedIn's newest data-based list called Skills on the Rise, which launches tomorrow from the LinkedIn News page.

Sticking with the AI theme of this week's newsletter, I want to highlight the latest episode of Get Hired with Andrew Seaman. I sat down with Cisco Global Innovation Officer Guy Dierich whose job it is to work with government and business leaders to digitize at scale while creating jobs and more. He knows a lot about educating people en masse, too. Guy, who holds a PhD, was a vice chancellor at the Texas A&M University System. We discuss whether the workforce is ready for AI. They talk about the many ways people can harness and learn the new technology. You can find a transcript of our conversation by clicking here. Also, the episode is available on your favorite podcast platform by clicking here.

As a quick reminder, we're looking for feedback on the podcast to help make it better. Please take a moment to answer our listener survey by clicking here.