A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to present the Future-Proof Professional workshop to approximately 21 professionals. Among the conversations that stayed with me were questions surrounding artificial intelligence and what the next five years could mean for the workplace. And I found myself thinking about how differently we experience technological advancement depending on where we stand.
For organizations, AI represents innovation, efficiency, and new opportunities. And there’s no denying the remarkable things artificial intelligence is making possible. But for employees and professionals everywhere, these same advancements raise a more personal question: Will my role still exist five years from now?
And I think that’s where the conversation becomes more complicated. While organizations are exploring what artificial intelligence can make possible, employees are wondering what those possibilities mean for their livelihoods, the skills they’ve spent years developing, and the value of their professional experience. Will technology support their work or eventually replace it? And if their roles change significantly, how do they evolve alongside it?
These questions deserve more than reassurance that technological advancement is inevitable. We know that it is, and we must continue evolving. But we also need to pay attention to what these changes mean for people, particularly when the data suggests that AI is already influencing workforce decisions.
One report that stood out to me was published in October 2026 by Challenger, Gray & Christmas. According to the report, U.S. employers cited artificial intelligence in 120,136 announced job cuts between January and September 2026, representing approximately 21% of all announced cuts during that period.
Let that number sink in.
120,136 announced job cuts linked to AI in just nine months. It’s a staggering and sobering figure. But beyond that number are disrupted careers and affected livelihoods. That’s why this deserves the attention of professionals everywhere, especially organizations and leaders making decisions about how AI will shape their workforce.
And it’s important to understand that job cuts are only part of the conversation. There are also employees who are still working, showing up every day, and trying to understand what the introduction of AI means for their future within their organizations. Imagine an organization introducing an AI-powered system that changes how an entire department operates or begins automating responsibilities employees have handled for years. There’s nothing inherently wrong with that. Technology is supposed to help us improve how we work. But what happens when employees are expected to embrace these changes without a clear understanding of how their roles will evolve?
Some may welcome the opportunity to learn something new. Others may quietly wonder whether the skills they’ve spent years developing will still be needed. And when organizations don’t communicate what is changing or provide opportunities for employees to learn and adapt, that uncertainty can affect how people experience their work. This isn’t just an assumption about how employees might feel. The research is beginning to reflect these concerns.
Gallup’s September 2026 research found that 27% of U.S. workers worry technology could make their jobs obsolete, compared with 20% in 2025. Although the survey examines technology broadly rather than AI exclusively, it reveals a growing concern about technological displacement. What’s particularly interesting is that this concern isn’t limited to employees in entry-level or lower-skilled roles. Workers ages 18 to 44 reported greater concern than those 45 and older (34% versus 19%), while college graduates were nearly as likely as those without degrees to express similar concerns.
A 2026 peer-reviewed study by Anurag Shekhar and Musawenkosi D. Saurombe, published in Frontiers in Psychology, also examined 1,454 Reddit narratives about AI-related employment disruption. The researchers identified recurring themes involving anxiety, professional identity, diminished trust, and changing expectations between employees and organizations. While these narratives don’t represent every employee’s experience, they highlight something worth paying attention to. For many professionals, work is more than a set of responsibilities. It represents years of learning, professional growth, and contributions they have made to their organizations. When technology begins to change that work, the impact can extend beyond the tasks themselves.
And this brings me to a question I believe organizations should be asking:
Are we measuring the success of AI adoption only by what organizations gain, or are we also considering what employees experience in the process?
Efficiency matters. Productivity matters. Innovation matters. And organizations absolutely need to evolve. But I believe we can embrace technological advancement while also being intentional about how we prepare and support the people whose work is changing. For organizations, that starts with bringing employees along. If AI is going to change how a department operates, involve the employees who understand that work. Communicate what is changing, explain what it means for their responsibilities, and provide opportunities for them to learn how to use the technology effectively.
And before assuming that automation means certain roles are no longer needed, organizations should consider how those roles might evolve. Could employees take on responsibilities that require deeper analysis, stronger relationships, or more complex decision-making? Could AI handle repetitive tasks while employees focus on work that requires their experience and judgment?
These are conversations worth having because AI, however advanced, is not a human being. It can process information, recognize patterns, generate content, and support decisions. But it can also produce inaccurate or misleading outputs, and it doesn’t carry the human accountability that comes with understanding context, exercising ethical judgment, or making decisions that affect people’s lives. That’s why human oversight remains important. Organizations need to be clear about where AI can assist, where employees must review its outputs, and who remains accountable for the decisions being made.
And employees have a responsibility here, too. We cannot ignore how rapidly the workplace is changing or assume that the skills that brought us this far will automatically carry us into the next five years. Remaining competitive will require a willingness to learn, adapt, and understand how AI is reshaping our respective professions.
One practical place to start is with the work you already do. Look at your day-to-day responsibilities and identify one area where AI could help you work more effectively. Learn how to use an appropriate tool, understand what it does well, and pay attention to where your own expertise is still needed to evaluate, improve, or apply its output. You don’t have to become an AI expert overnight. But you do need to become familiar with how the technology is being used in your field and what that means for the skills you should be developing.
And as we do that, let’s not overlook the value of human judgment. Knowing how to use AI is important, but knowing when to question its output, recognize its limitations, and apply professional experience is equally important. The future of work isn’t simply about humans competing against machines. It’s about how we choose to work with technology, how organizations develop and support their people, and how we, as professionals, prepare ourselves to remain relevant as our roles evolve.
Thank you for reading. Until our next edition, let’s continue navigating the workplace with wisdom, compassion, clarity, and courage.