FOBO: The fear of becoming obsolete

In 2024, a Gallup survey revealed that twenty-two percent of workers feared their jobs would become obsolete due to technology, up from 15% in 2021. If the study were repeated today, I’d bet that percentage would be closer to twenty-five. Since ChatGPT first shook the world in November 2022, the pace of change has accelerated exponentially. While the latest AI launches still stumble in ways that might falsely reassure us our jobs are safe for another five years, the reality is our roles are already transforming. Despite all the talk about AI washing, AI taking away our jobs and AI creating new jobs, becoming obsolete is a real risk; and not one that we can afford to take lightly.

Last week, China’s new general AI agent got the world talking again. Watching the Manus video made me realize that the world will soon split into two camps – those who skillfully leverage AI to accelerate their careers and those caught unprepared. While Manus’s initial tests are both impressive and imperfect, the launch has accomplished two things: it has given us a glimpse into which jobs could vanish (like stock analysts) and intensified the already fierce race toward the next breakthrough in agentic AI.

This is not a post about Agentic AI. Rather, this is a glimpse into the future, intended to shake you from your comfort zone and compel you to take this revolution seriously. All highly skilled jobs that can be automated will be automated. Our Agentic AI companions will write code, conduct complex testing, and even design software based on commands. If software engineering was your backup plan, recognize that entry-level roles will transform dramatically. Data analysts will compete with machines operating at double their speed and accuracy, editors will question their future relevance, as will many other professions. Regardless of your current role, tomorrow you’ll work in close partnership with AI, and many jobs will disappear entirely.

While this post isn’t meant to cause panic, I must challenge two common arguments about AI and the future of work.

#1: You only get to do the best bits of your job. All transactional work will be the first to go.

A popular pro-AI argument suggests that AI will handle routine tasks, leaving humans to focus on preferred activities, thereby improving productivity and engagement. While I don’t entirely disagree, consider this: the human brain has limits on how long it can perform high-cognition tasks without fatigue. Ideally, automation would allow employees to focus on crucial complex thinking, but we know optimal cognitive performance ranges between four to six hours, with six being a threshold not all can hit. If AI leads to four-hour workdays, allowing two hours of high cognition for personal life, I am all for it. However, knowing corporate tendencies, the push for increased productivity will likely persist, and reduced work weeks will require their own revolution. Thus, this argument remains incomplete without clearly stating workforce benefits beyond just added dollars due to increased ‘productivity’. On the bright side, per Bloomberg, the work day is getting shorter for Americans (ending at 4:39pm) and I hope the trend continues.   

#2: AI will generate a lot of new jobs.

This classic argument comes with a significant caveat: there’s a substantial skill gap between eliminated jobs and created ones. This gap remains largely undefined, and neither organizations nor individuals (with some exceptions) are making sufficient preparations to bridge it. Those most needing support will likely face the greatest challenges in accessing it. Consider this: when a mid-career accountant’s role is automated, the new positions created might require expertise in AI model training or prompt engineering – skills that demand not just retraining, but often a fundamental shift in thinking patterns and technical capabilities. The timeline of job displacement versus job creation is also misaligned; jobs will likely disappear faster than new ones emerge. Organizations trumpet the promise of new roles while remaining vague about transition paths for their existing workforce. Without concrete upskilling programs, clear career transition frameworks, and significant investment in human capital, this “new jobs” narrative risks becoming an empty promise that merely masks the real challenges ahead.

So, what do we do with this fear of becoming obsolete? The good news is that instead of allowing it to paralyze us, it can serve as a strong fuel for growth. I’ve signed up and completed a few free courses available via Coursera, AWS Skill builder, and edX.  I strongly encourage you to do the same and spend a few hours learning – whether that’s experimenting with GPT for content creation, learning prompt engineering, or understanding how AI might augment your specific role. Other options include joining online communities in your industry that discuss AI integration; LinkedIn groups and Discord channels are particularly active in this space. Also, consider enrolling in micro-credentials or certification programs that blend your current expertise with emerging technologies. I have a goal to complete a certification I have been eying by August 2025.

Most importantly, focus on developing skills that AI currently struggles with: strategic thinking, emotional intelligence, complex problem-solving, and cross-functional collaboration. These human capabilities, combined with AI literacy, will be your strongest assets. Remember, the goal isn’t to outcompete AI but to become proficient at working alongside it. The fear of becoming obsolete is real – but the fear can also serve as powerful fuel just as FOMO gets me to a lot of parties that I would have otherwise sat out.