Former Google executive Mo Gawdat recently rejected the idea that AI will create new jobs. His comments lit a spark in the ongoing debate around technology’s role in the future of work. Headlines have quickly seized on the notion that AI will eliminate roles at every level, from entry-level employees to executives. While attention-grabbing, these claims risk narrowing the conversation to inevitability, rather than possibility and choice.
AI’s trajectory is not preordained; it will be shaped by the decisions leaders make today. The real question is not whether AI will eliminate or create jobs, but how we ensure it reshapes work to empower people, unlock innovation and strengthen culture.
New technology as a generator
Undoubtedly, AI is reshaping how work is executed. Some roles that involve highly repetitive or transactional work may well disappear. However, this does not mean disruption is inevitable or uniform. History shows that technological change rarely results in net job destruction.
When computers began to transform office work in the latter half of the 20th century, many predicted the end of clerical jobs and administrative roles. While certain tasks were automated, entirely new fields quickly emerged from software development and systems analysis to IT support and digital project management.
AI is already creating entirely new roles. Demand is rising for positions such as prompt engineers, AI ethicists, model auditors and human-in-the-loop reviewers – roles that did not exist a few years ago. Lower barriers to content creation, data analysis and prototyping, afforded through the use of AI, also expand entrepreneurial opportunities and broaden participation in decision-making and design, allowing ‘citizen analysts’ and ‘citizen designers’ to contribute in previously unavailable ways.
Navigating the narrative around AI and employment
The constant through every technological shift, from the arrival of the PC to the rise of the internet, is that people remain at the centre. Human judgment, creativity and decision-making determine whether new tools become catalysts for progress or sources of disruption. This is why the narrative that leaders adopt is so influential.
Framing AI as a job-killer breeds fear, resistance and organisational inertia, all of which prevent leaders and employees from taking advantage of a new technology to improve previously inefficient workflows. While alarmist warnings provoke attention-grabbing headlines, they offer little practical guidance for those who are navigating a rapidly changing workplace. In turn, a people-first approach to AI begins with acknowledging that change is coming, preparing employees for it and giving them a meaningful role in shaping how AI is applied.
The recent wave of headlines linking AI to layoffs often overlooks a more complex reality, which is that most organisations are still responding to post-pandemic overexpansion, adjusting staffing and performance management practices and amidst this, finding the right balance between remote and in-office work. This context matters because addressing the challenges around AI implementation paves a way for the opportunities.
Additionally, many companies with significant AI investments are largely still in pilot or experimentation phases. Therefore, the presence of AI budgets does not equate to immediate, widespread automation. Instead, it signals the start of a strategic journey to identify where technology complements human judgment rather than replace it.
Leadership and culture-driven outcomes
Successful AI adoption depends as much on culture as it does on technology. Organisations that foster curiosity, experimentation and inclusivity tend to see AI sparking new roles, driving innovation and enhancing human potential. By contrast, fear-driven, cost-cutting cultures often experience AI primarily as a tool for headcount reduction.
A people-first approach reframes the debate. Instead of asking ‘whose jobs will disappear?’ leaders need to be asking, how they design jobs that are better, more human and more meaningful. This mindset shapes the way AI is introduced, guiding leaders to prioritise augmentation, growth and employee engagement over simple efficiency gains.
Leaders play a crucial role in preventing change fatigue. By acknowledging employees’ anxieties honestly, they build trust and demonstrate that concerns are being taken seriously. Offering a vision of AI as an augmentation tool rather than a replacement engine reassures employees that the technology is there to enhance and not diminish their roles.
Rolling out AI in phases with small wins reduces overwhelm and allows teams to experience tangible benefits of the new technology early. Finally, celebrating employees who grow into new roles or take on AI-related responsibilities reinforces a culture of possibility that highlights the opportunities created by transformation.
Transparent communication, co-creation with employees and ongoing investment in reskilling are equally critical. Teams that understand the purpose behind AI adoption and are given the space to learn and evolve alongside the technology are far more likely to harness its benefits, ensuring that AI complements human work instead of replacing it.
Looking ahead to AI-powered employment
We know that technology is only going to increase its dominance in our everyday lives. We must, therefore, reframe the conversation around AI and jobs. Similar to how computers reshaped work decades ago without obliterating it, AI has the potential to expand the possibilities of what humans can do.
Rather than being alarmist, the key is to understand the concerns, address the challenges and highlight the opportunity. By focusing on augmentation, strategy and culture, AI can strengthen organisations and open pathways for new roles rather than simply replacing what exists.
Sonali Fenner is a managing director at Slalom
Read more: The AI-enabled company of the future will need a whole new org chart
