Proactive steps can future-proof jobs in the AI era

There is a widespread fear across US campuses, businesses, and industries that the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) and its rapid integration into all spheres of our lives will lead to job losses and a lifestyle where robots control our daily routines. However, further exploration of this notion shows that much of this projection is exaggerated, fed by our fascination with dystopian science fiction. In reality, AI will gradually make inroads into transportation, manufacturing, and agriculture; AI-driven robotics will replace routine tasks, provide health and other services, thus boosting financial growth.

My commentary is for the younger generation considering their career paths, today’s industry leaders evaluating investment opportunities for the future, and thought leaders in academia and AI research.

Let us take stock of the current situation in the US and other advanced countries. AI is poised to eliminate a variety of jobs, particularly those involving routine tasks, data analysis, and customer service, while roles requiring human judgement and emotional intelligence are likely to remain safe. 

Microsoft developed an “AI applicability score” to measure how well AI can perform the core tasks of various jobs. Jobs with high scores are more likely to be transformed or replaced by AI technologies. Many of these jobs are in domains such as computer and mathematical fields, office and administrative support, and sales.

In a recent article in The New York Times, Sal Khan, the Bangladeshi founder of Khan Academy, wrote, “I believe artificial intelligence will displace workers at a scale many people don’t yet realize.” However, he also calls on business leaders to invest in retraining workers to adapt to new workplace technologies.

AI-enhanced humanoid robots and autonomous machines will be in high demand across warehouses, supply chains, transportation, and agriculture. In Bangladesh, many manual tasks, including irrigation, tilling, and fertiliser application, have seen the intrusion of mechanisation for decades. 

Robotics in agriculture, often referred to as “agribots,” encompasses a range of automated technologies designed to improve farming practices. These robots perform essential tasks such as planting, harvesting, monitoring crop health, and managing livestock, significantly enhancing productivity and efficiency in modern agriculture. 

While AI will enable us to work and learn better, there will be a growing need for skilled labour to operate and manage this new technology. The challenge our society, particularly our new generation, faces is adapting to the changing job market and economic ecosystem. Universities and industry leaders will now need to have a subcommittee to study and better understand the societal and economic impact of AI. 

Microsoft itself is dedicating some energy to understanding the future of the workplace. It is providing considerable funding to graduate students engaged in research, market design, the economics of Artificial Intelligence (AI), economics and computation, social learning, applied microeconomics, microeconomic theory, and behavioural economics. 

Sal Khan advised big companies to invest one percent of their profits in training their own workers to adapt to AI and robotics. He estimates that one percent of the combined profit of a dozen of the world’s largest corporations would create a $10 billion annual fund. 

Now, let us turn to retraining the workers who will undoubtedly be affected by changes in the job market. The revolution brought about by AI and automation is fuelled by chipmakers such as Nvidia. In a recent interview, Jensen Huang, the founder and CEO of Nvidia, said that polls show AI-driven robots will be used for office and administrative support, domestic work, and repetitive tasks. However, robots will not be able to outperform humans in healthcare, classroom teaching, and scores of other jobs. 

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that nearly two million jobs will open up annually in the healthcare sector during the next decade. UNESCO estimates a global shortage of 44 million teachers by 2030. In the US, the construction industry needs more than 500,000 additional workers annually just to meet demand; meanwhile, openings for electricians and plumbers are growing faster than average. The hospitality and elder care industries—work rooted in empathy and human presence—are expanding, not shrinking.

Our teachers must adapt to the changing times and prepare our students for smart jobs. With advances in AI technology, many jobs will undergo transformation, and some roles will face a significant risk of automation. Workers in knowledge-intensive fields should be proactive in adapting to these changes, seeking opportunities for reskilling and embracing new technologies to remain competitive in the evolving job market.

At the 1 Billion Followers Summit 2026 in Dubai, educators, content creators, and learning designers called for a fundamental shift in how education is delivered. Education must pivot from rote learning to skill-based development (problem-solving, digital literacy) to equip graduates for this evolving landscape, focusing less on degrees and more on practical workplace readiness, as AI displaces some roles while boosting productivity.

Turning to agriculture, it is a sector that is crucial in meeting the food demand for a growing population projected to reach 9.7 billion people by 2050. Robots can operate continuously, performing tasks faster and more accurately than human labour, which is in short supply anyway. While the integration of robotics in agriculture presents numerous advantages, challenges such as high initial costs and the need for skilled operators exist. Any potential job displacement can be addressed by strengthening the skilled crafts and trades required to sustain the AI-driven economy.

The goal of universities should be to move away from a mindset focused solely on producing more graduates and towards a system that equips students with workplace skills. To do that, educational reform must transition immediately from exam-based assessment to skill-based learning.

Dr Abdullah Shibli is an economist and academic, currently working with a non-profit fiscal intermediary in Boston, US. He previously worked for the World Bank and Harvard University.

Views expressed in this article are the author's own. 

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