Jeff Kagan: Will AI still excite you when it takes your job?

April 16, 2025 at 10:38 AM EDT

Just like everyone else, I am excited about all the news around how artificial intelligence will transform our world. All the news stories we read are about all the good this new technology will bring to our world and to each and every one of us.

However, there are two sides to every coin. How will we feel about it when AI takes our job?

AI is one of the biggest stories of our lifetime. It will usher in many changes, both good and bad. As interesting as this story is, remember, this is not the first time a technology revolution has transformed the world we know.

This is not unlike the first iPhone and Android smartphones invented almost two decades ago. Or like the Ford Model T. It too was exciting, and you know how far we have come with the automobile and the smartphone.

There are many warnings from many people who point to the good and the bad we will experience. These kinds of technical shifts change everything. We should prepare for the good and the bad.

One concern people have expressed is how many jobs will be lost. How will we earn income to support our family?

Consider the automobile or the airline industry. They impacted other transportation industries like horse and buggy, the buggy whip sector, the railroads, boats and ships and much more.

AI and quantum are two earthshaking new technologies

Every once in a while, something earthshaking occurs which changes everything. That’s what we should expect with AI. And not just AI, but with quantum as well, and so much more. Just like we could not and should not have stopped past transformations because they led to the amazing world we live in today, we should not stand in the way of this next move to AI and more.

That being said, we should be aware of what is coming next.

Looking at the past, I fully believe AI will transform every company, every industry and every person. It will bring all sorts of new ways to sort through mountains of data and save lives, improve business and everything else. All the problems AI will solve, the people it will help, the medical breakthroughs, and so much more. AI will give us so much.

On the other hand, a major transformation like this will impact our society. Remember, AI is not just one technology. AI is the catchphrase over the world of different kinds of technologies that all have the AI moniker.

Don’t get me wrong, I write about all the amazing ways AI will transform our lives, help us live longer and better and so much more. That being said, AI will impact our world for the better. Looking forward, it will make life better in every aspect.

However, the transformation will be messy for many years. Certain segments will be replaced first. Then the next segment and the next.

AI will come for our jobs

Jobs will more than likely change as well. Older or less technical jobs may disappear as new jobs replace them. As an example, just think about what McDonalds is doing in their restaurants. You order from a kiosk. Or about the massive move to self-check-out counters at grocery stores.

Jobs are already being lost. What does that mean? Workers find new jobs from those that remain. And that’s the way it will go over the next several years.

I believe we will be happy with the new direction technology will take us, remember it will be a bumpy ride to get there. While we may be happy after the dust settles, we should expect uncertainty through the change wave. The same way we were in the days of the Model T or further back, to the days of the horse and buggy.

Change happens. Sometimes it adds to our world. It also takes away from the world we grew up with. Expecting continual change is the only way to remain sane in an always changing world.

More from Jeff Kagan: How AI is impacting telecom, wireless, broadband and pay TV