How to hedge against AI stealing your job

Will artificial intelligence take my job? This question is really starting to preoccupy me and millions of other white-collar workers. There's even a word for it — FOBO, or fear of becoming obsolete — and, regrettably, our apprehension isn't entirely

- Bloomberg

FOBO, or fear of becoming obsolete — and, regrettably, our apprehension isn't entirely unfounded.

While I'm not counselling panic, I do think knowledge workers — a catch-all term for people such as administrators, financial analysts, software developers, legal professionals, and those in the creative industries whose jobs are most likely to be transformed by AI — should prepare for massive upheaval. This means embracing AI to become more productive, while having a back-up plan in case your efforts to resist the march of the machines fail.

Think tank IPPR estimates that knowledge work now accounts for around half of UK labour market activity, and as much as 70% of those tasks could be significantly transformed or replaced by generative AI. Those earning more than $250,000 a year contribute around half of US consumer spending, according to a recent Moody's Analytics analysis. What if millions of high earners are replaced by algorithms?