Navigating Work in the Age of AI

Join us for a discussion on how artificial intelligence is reshaping jobs, skills, and workplace dynamics. Discover which roles are evolving, which human strengths remain irreplaceable, and practical ways to adapt your career for long-term success in an AI-powered world.

Transcript

Clara Jensen

Hey everyone, welcome to Episode 4 of Getting the Most From Your LMS! I’m Clara Jensen, here as always with Eric Marquette. Today, we’re not going to talk about LMS; rather, we’re going to chat about something that’s honestly impossible to avoid lately—and it’s how artificial intelligence is literally transforming not just our workplaces, but the actual skills we need to stay ahead. And Eric, thanks for joining.

Eric Marquette

Hey Clara—I’m glad we’re finally taking a closer look at this. Seems like AI comes up in just about every episode, but today we’re taking a step back for a bit to see the big picture. Am I right?

Clara Jensen

Exactly. And it kind of reminds me—when you look at what’s happening now, with all the uncertainty about AI, it actually echoes a lot of what we’ve seen before in history. You know how the agricultural revolution freed people from spending every hour farming, then industrialization brought new factory jobs, and more recently, the digital revolution gave us, like, instant access to information!? Right? And it feels like we’re back at that kind of turning point.

Eric Marquette

Totally. Every major shift has started with people fearing they would lose their jobs—remember how many people said computers would eliminate all office work? But then new jobs popped up that nobody had even imagined yet. I mean, nobody was talking about web developers in the seventies, right?

Clara Jensen

Right! But here’s the thing—AI’s disruption right now is very real. In the first half of 2025, there were over 800,000 layoffs announced in the US. That’s a 75% increase over last year. And some companies, like Amazon, specifically pointed to AI as a reason for the cuts. There’s a lot happening, and a lot of mixed messages out there. You hear visionaries talking about AI as this miracle, but on the ground level, a lot of those pilot programs—something like 95%—aren’t delivering clear financial results. So, reality’s somewhere in between.

Eric Marquette

Yeah, and we’ve both watched it happen and seen how it plays out. Actually, didn’t you have a story about data entry roles at one of your organizations?

Clara Jensen

Oh yeah—the nonprofit I worked with had a whole team dedicated to data entry. Then, they rolled out an AI tool that automated nearly all of it. People panicked, fearing their jobs would disappear overnight. But, what actually happened was pretty interesting—the leadership put a real focus on reskilling. Some folks shifted into creative support, like designing digital resources or even providing hands-on support to other departments as they navigated the new tech. Not everyone transitioned easily, but it was an important pivot rather than a dead end. There’s definitely growing pain, but also major opportunity. And that’s kind of what we’re seeing across the board—job loss, but also job creation if the environment’s right for it.

Eric Marquette

That’s a perfect example. And it’s a reminder that the story is more complicated than just “robots are taking over.” Sometimes it’s about moving towards more meaningful or creative work, and sometimes, well, it’s sure is uncomfortable for a while.

Clara Jensen

So that brings us to the big question—if roles are disappearing, which ones exactly are most at risk from AI? I mean, we’ve both heard about data entry going away, but it’s customer service reps, administrative assistants, telemarketers, even writers and translators—those repetitive, rule-based roles are the first in the firing line.

Eric Marquette

Absolutely. It’s the jobs that are all about patterns, repetition, and, like, clear rule. But I have to say, it’s not just doom and gloom. There are jobs where AI simply can’t compete, at least not for the foreseeable future. Jobs that depend on unpredictable situations or lots of human touch—healthcare providers, skilled trades, personal services, creative artists, equipment operators. These are the kinds of roles where human skills continue to matter most.

Clara Jensen

And while that’s happening, new jobs are seriously popping up like mushrooms after the rain! I mean, “prompt engineer”—that wasn’t in any career guide five years ago! Now they’re earning serious money to help companies get the most out of AI tools. There are also AI ethicists, machine learning operations specialists, and people who train those models—it’s this whole ecosystem that’s materialized almost overnight.

Eric Marquette

Oh yeah, this actually reminds me of a past client story. Had a healthcare client—part of a big clinic group. They had a large number of administrative staff who were particularly concerned about AI potentially taking over appointment scheduling and record management. Instead of letting people go, the company retrained them so they could work alongside new AI diagnostic tools. Some ended up specializing in patient data accuracy, and others actually became internal AI tool mentors for their departments. And yeah, the transition took some time, and it wasn’t all smooth sailing from the start. But afterward, the organization actually came out stronger, and the staff acquired new in-demand skills instead of losing their jobs entirely.

Clara Jensen

That’s a great example, and it kind of matches what we talked about in one of our previous episodes—the need to keep updating your LMS content or even switch platforms when things change fast. Here, it’s not just a quick technology update or refresh; nowadays, people need to refresh their actual job roles and skills.

Eric Marquette

Exactly. Same principles apply—if you keep learning and adapting, you’re in a much better spot when the next major shift comes around.

Clara Jensen

So at this point, it’s not about asking “Will AI disrupt my job?” but “How do I thrive and adapt in a world with AI literally everywhere?”—right? So, let’s talk skills. First up, you’ve gotta be AI literate. It’s an absolute must. And that means understanding what AI can and cannot do, knowing how to leverage tools like ChatGPT, and, honestly, recognizing when AI goes completely off track. And today, having a competitive edge often means knowing how to prompt—how to get these tools to deliver the best results—it has become a skill in itself.

Eric Marquette

For sure. But I want to emphasize—technical skills are great, but they aren’t enough on their own. Critical thinking, creativity, emotional intelligence, and collaboration—those are things machines struggle with big time. Actually, those qualities might matter even more as companies keep downsizing. That “human-in-the-loop” idea you brought up earlier? It’s quickly becoming the gold standard: AI does the heavy lifting, while people stay in charge of judgment, ethics, and decisions.

Clara Jensen

Absolutely. And it gets tricky—how do you balance time spent on, like for example, AI or tech upskilling, versus building those irreplaceable human skills? Maybe that’s just rhetorical. But it’s actually a real challenge! If I were advising someone starting out, I’d say: first start with the basics—get familiar with the top AI tools in your field or industry. At the same time, join team projects or collaborative problem-solving sessions, even if they’re outside your comfort zone. — Those “human” skills only get better with real-world practice. Eric, what would you recommend for our listeners today?

Eric Marquette

Honestly, experiment. Don’t wait for someone to “assign” you an AI project. Use a chatbot to draft some notes for your next meeting, or help brainstorm something unique and creative—you’ll get a feel for what works and what doesn’t. And always, always double-check your final results. For the human side, it’s not a bad idea to volunteer for projects where you have to negotiate, solve complex problems, or mediate between people. All those skills, technical and social, combined together, that’s your ultimate safety net for whatever AI throws your way.

Clara Jensen

And that is it for today! Hopefully you’re coming away with a sense that, yeah, things are changing—and they are changing really fast. But there’s always room to grow, and plenty of ways to future-proof your career if you start early. We’ll continue to discuss topics like AI, learning strategies, and career pivots in our future episodes. And, if you’re interested in this topic, Knowledge Anywhere’s course, Navigating Your Career in the Age of AI: A Guide for Office Workers, provides a deeper dive into this topic. Thanks for joining us today! And Eric—as always, I loved your stories and I can’t wait to hear many more!

Eric Marquette

Always a pleasure, Clara. And thanks to everyone listening—remember, the future doesn’t have to be so scary if you’re planning for it. Catch you next time!