Fobo, the 40-something working professional's new anxiety

Companies must focus on hands-on, digestible training instead of long milestone courses.

- Lin Suling

If you've seen that viral demo of China's AI agent Manus from March, you might have felt both awe at the power of artificial intelligence and a creeping sense of Fobo - the fear of becoming obsolete.

Manus was impressive. It screened job candidates, generated shortlists of property listings tailored to buyers, and executed diverse tasks with extraordinary speed and precision - capabilities that could challenge human professionals in recruitment and real estate.

Industry watchers gave Manus a glowing review. Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey called it "excellent". Some dubbed it a "second DeepSeek". While critics pointed out occasional AI clumsiness, the consensus was optimistic.

The implication? Manus could fuel uptake of such AI agents across knowledge-based industries.

"I can see the tool becoming a preferred choice for individual users, particularly white-collar professionals, independent developers and small teams," the MIT Technology Review wrote on March 11.

That sounds like code for yet another wave of training. And for 40-somethings who have spent decades on a relentless treadmill of adapting to new technologies, the idea of another skills overhaul, frankly, feels exhausting.

THE FEELING OF BEING OUTPACED

Yes, we live in an exciting era of unprecedented technological progress.

The arrival of ChatGPT barely three years ago revolutionised our relationship with AI. It catalysed debate about workforce augmentation and productivity gains. Its human-like text responses made AI feel accessible, prompting widespread experimentation and comfort with automation.

Today, there is some basic level of AI proficiency. Pretty much everyone knows how to turn photos into Studio Ghibli art using ChatGPT.

A June 2024 Slack survey found that more than half of Singaporean workers use AI at work, with nearly nine in 10 feeling pressured to become "AI experts".