Artificial Intelligence is no longer a futuristic concept—it’s the engine powering real-time replacement of entire job functions, reshaping business models, and redefining government infrastructure. In the last 24 months, we’ve seen sweeping announcements from tech giants, financial firms, retailers, and defense institutions, all pointing in one direction: AI isn’t coming for your job—it may already have.
Corporate Announcements: AI Displacing Entire Job Functions
From call centers to coding, many high-profile companies have announced either workforce reductions or major operational shifts to AI-based systems:
- IBM paused hiring for nearly 30% of back-office roles, anticipating AI would replace them within five years.
- Goldman Sachs predicted AI could automate 300 million jobs globally, with finance, legal, and administrative sectors among the most impacted.
- Duolingo and Chegg openly acknowledged AI-driven models were reducing the need for traditional content development and tutoring staff.
- Walmart and Amazon deployed generative AI agents to optimize warehousing, customer service, and product recommendation—quietly displacing thousands of frontline and support workers.
Entire sectors are feeling the tremors. Law firms are trialing AI tools like Harvey to draft contracts. Marketing agencies are replacing designers and copywriters with MidJourney and GPT-4. Even software developers—once considered safe—face disruption from tools like GitHub Copilot and Replit AI.
Adapt or Be Automated: What Individuals Can Do
This transformation isn’t just about job elimination—it’s about skill redefinition. The workers of tomorrow must become AI-augmented professionals.
How to Prepare:
Understand the Fundamentals:
Learn AI basics: Take free courses from Google AI, Microsoft Learn, or OpenAI. If you don’t want to use those resources – just search “Learn AI” into YouTube and you will get millions of courses and information to help you understand AI and how you can use it for your career.
Study how Large Language Models (LLMs), machine learning, AAI Agents, and automation tools work.
Apply AI to Your Role:
Writers can use AI to co-author, brainstorm, or summarize content.
Developers can code faster with Copilot and other tools – but at this point need to be skilled enough to troubleshoot. Sorry junior and mid level developers.
Analysts can use AI tools for advanced data modeling and forecasting. This including conducting deep research using multiple authoritative and open sources – not to mention your internal data if you have it configured.
HR and admin professionals can use AI for resume filtering, scheduling, and compliance workflows.
Learn the Tools:
Prompt engineering, ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, MidJourney, Notion AI, and AI in Excel or Google Sheets.
Focus on workflow orchestration—how to link tools like Zapier, LangChain, or Make.com with LLMs. Learn how to use MCP and A2A to give AI Agents access to tools and help you complete tasks in a jiffy.
Develop “AI Fluency”:
You don’t need to become a developer—but understanding how AI can be prompted, customized, or integrated is the new baseline. At this point if you are not in the tech sector – even knowing how to use AI at any level will make you look like you know magic.
The Government’s AI Reckoning: The DOGE Revolution
Even the U.S. Government—long burdened by legacy infrastructure and bloated contracts—is now under pressure to automate, optimize, and cut.
A recent example is the Department of Defense’s review of Microsoft 365 licenses. As part of broader reforms led by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), the Pentagon is:
- Evaluating Microsoft E5 licenses, which cost hundreds per user per year. With over 2 million users, the financial waste is staggering.
- Canceling external consulting contracts in favor of internally developed AI-powered solutions—especially in risk management (e.g., RMF automation).
- Reassessing systems integrators to eliminate duplication and bloat.
- Promoting Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) tools with embedded AI as cost-effective, scalable alternatives.
This is not just a cost-cutting exercise—it’s a technological modernization plan to address challenges such as:
- An aging federal workforce nearing retirement. When I was working in the Government this was a huge worry on how they work would get done – AI should help us adapt to this transition.
- Massive redundancies across civilian roles.
- Rising concerns around fraud, waste, and abuse.
The Pentagon is not alone. The IRS, VA, and Department of Labor are piloting AI to scan claims, process documents, detect fraud, and route support tickets—replacing years of manual review with seconds of machine-augmented processing.
The Stakes: Fratercide or Future-Proofing
The term “fratercide” isn’t just poetic—it’s literal when AI eliminates the very roles once filled by the peers who built the system. But AI doesn’t have to be a threat. It can be a force multiplier—if we pivot now.
What can people do?
- Learn to lead AI, not just use it—be the one designing the system, not the one displaced by it. Also create a process to maintain it – just in case it decides to tell your boss it no longer needs you.
- Identify inefficiencies in your org and become the internal advocate for AI adoption. Find tasks that include lots of research and writing, automate them and then help train the staff on how they can use AI.
- Certify and reskill—whether it’s Google’s AI certification, OpenAI’s prompt engineer training, or industry-specific microcredentials. This always helps in case cuts are coming – but actually knowing and applying AI is going to be your best bet overall.
What should the government do?
- Use AI to make smart research as it relates to costs and personnel across all agencies.
- Offer AI literacy training for all federal employees.
- Incentivize automation pilots that reduce FWA (fraud, waste, abuse).
- Leverage AI to help retirees transition knowledge to the next generation before it’s lost.
Conclusion: Don’t Be Replaced. Be Rewired.
AI is not coming to destroy jobs. It’s coming to destroy the way jobs are done. The winners in this transformation will not be those with the most credentials—but those with the most curiosity, agility, and willingness to learn.
Whether you’re in the private sector or public service, the writing is on the wall. But so is the opportunity. The future isn’t replacing you—it’s waiting for you to show up ready.