Scary times are ahead.
I hope you aren’t getting certificates just to hide under them, waiting to be employed? If that’s your plan, it’s time to think again—because the ground is shifting beneath our feet.
The world is moving toward almost complete automation. In one of my previous blogs, I wrote about how humans will be replaced in companies. We’re heading toward a reality where multi-million and even billion-dollar companies will be run by a handful of individuals, supported by intelligent systems that never sleep, never demand a raise, and never take a sick day or maternity leave.
The trend of massive layoffs since the AI race began has continued to soar. Just recently, Meta cut about 8,000 jobs, which represents 10% of its global workforce, to focus more of its resources on building intelligent systems.
And pay attention to this: companies may currently be prioritizing people with AI skills, but even that window won’t stay open for long. As humanoid robots and autonomous agents evolve, the “AI-skilled” worker of today may become as replaceable as the factory worker of yesterday.
Consider the most popular jobs available right now. Many are freelance gigs where people are hired temporarily to train AI models. Think about the irony—people are being paid to build the very systems that will soon require far less human intervention. These are automated systems, and with every dataset labeled, every model fine-tuned, we’re actively teaching machines to take over the work space.
Degrees and certificates may no longer be guarantees of success in the near future. That piece of paper alone won’t protect you. The industrial-age model—where masses of people gathered in offices and factories to earn a living—is fading out gradually.
So what’s the way forward?
If you’re in school, see it as an opportunity to acquire domain knowledge. But don’t stop there. Strengthen that knowledge by integrating it with AI. Identify real-world problems within your domain, and build solutions—an app, a device, a system. Monetize it. If possible, build a startup around it.
We’re entering a world where survival will largely depend on the solutions you create that others are willing to pay for. It’s a return to something ancient, something primal—just like the times when everyone had to farm for what they ate or sold. Except now, instead of cultivating land, we must cultivate ideas and systems.
Start building solutions. Start building systems that solve problems. Mere certificates may not save you. Institutions are cutting roles; governments are cutting expenses. Your survival now depends on what the next person will pay for the solution you’ve provided.
The future belongs to builders. Make sure you’re one of them.
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