The technology behind artificial intelligence is growing at an alarming rate. Things that weren’t possible through AI even two or three years ago are possible right now. It is a very exciting time for the world as innovations are happening at a rapid pace.
It is also a very frightening time to be in the world now. The advances in technology are soon to make many jobs that people do each day obsolete. And many are left to wonder if their career prospects could eventually be threatened by these new innovations.
1. Companies Have Already Said They Will Be Eliminating Jobs Because of AI
People are likely right to be scared about the potential of losing their jobs because of AI; it is already happening in some places. IBM, for example, has eliminated thousands of jobs, replacing employees with AI chatbots.
Microsoft, a company that is showing strong earnings in 2025, has still laid off thousands of workers, saying it will reinvest the savings in AI-based projects. Technology has continued to be hit hard as Cisco, Intuit, and Intel have all laid off large amounts of skilled workers as they transition toward different goals.
2. Ford’s CEO Said Half the White-Collar Workforce Could Be Eliminated
Some of the most prominent CEOs in the country have talked about how the U.S. needs to be better prepared to deal with the new technology. Jim Farley, the CEO of Ford, predicted that one-half of the white-collar jobs in America could be wiped out.
Tobi Lutke, the CEO of Shopify, was even more direct in a memo that circulated around the company. Lutke told workers that they should not ask for more resources from the company until they prove that they couldn’t use AI to get their projects done.
3. The U.S. Government Is Getting Involved, But In a Different Way
There have been calls for the government to get involved in AI regulation, especially with worries that the new technology could cause growing unemployment. And the government is weighing in on artificial intelligence, but not necessarily in this way.
Last week, Donald Trump signed an executive order that was meant to strip what he called a ‘Marxist agenda’ in artificial intelligence. Proponents of the technology say that this will keep creating unnecessary barriers as the country attempts to win the world’s AI race. And it also does little to protect workers.
4. How Can You Make AI Technology Work For You
When some people are worrying about how AI might result in them losing their jobs, smart people are thinking about how they can use AI to better perform their jobs. In fact, some savvy early adopters are using their skills with AI to ask for a raise at work.
AI can be very scary for people who aren’t technologically inclined to learn a new skill on the computer. But people who are taking a risk are realizing AI can be pretty easy to learn, and they can add a skill at their office.
5. A Study Showed That Using AI Can Result in a Big Pay Raise
A company called Consultancy PwC did a study on how much more people who were skilled at AI could expect to make. In the United Kingdom, the amount was 14%, and in Canada, the amount was 11%.
The best results came in the United States, where jobs that required AI skills were willing to pay employees an additional 25%. This is a staggering boost, as almost anybody would like to make a quarter more than they are making right now.
6. More Jobs Are Requiring AI Skills in Their Job Postings
Whether people want to learn how to use artificial intelligence or not, they may not have a choice in the matter. That is especially true for people who are new to the job market or looking to make a career change.
One study that compared job postings from 2013 to job postings from 2023 found that 3.5 times as many postings called out AI skills in their advertisement. So people who want to pursue a new career should take a look at learning these new skills.
7. There Are Many Ways For People to Acquire These Skills
Some people will get on-the-job training with artificial intelligence tools if their company is large and they have begun to incorporate them into their business. For those people who want to learn on their own, there are a couple of different options.
Many of the largest tech companies in the world are offering free AI learning services. This includes Amazon’s AI Ready, IBM’s Skills Build, and Google’s AI Essentials. Each of these powerhouse companies is attempting to lead the way with AI, and people can benefit from this AI race by downloading some of these services.
8. Blue-Collar Jobs Could Boom in the AI Age
When Ford’s CEO talked about white-collar jobs going away, that wasn’t the only part of his statement that made waves. Jim Farley also said that AI will create a need for more people who want to work with their hands.
People who are builders will be important in the coming years, and there are AI tools that will help blue-collar workers as much as white-collar workers. So people who work in more traditional blue-collar jobs should be looking into learning skills as well.
9. Conclusion
The world is going to constantly change, and technology is growing faster now than at any other time in history. The strategy for how to deal with change, though, will always remain the same. Those people who try to be ahead of the curve are the ones who are going to win in this new environment.
So the best advice to anyone who is worried about AI is to jump in on the trend and learn how to use it. By doing so, you will not only protect yourself in the future, but you may also have a new marketable skill to offer your company.