Earlier this year Paul* discovered via a flurry of media stories that his business group had been targeted for job cuts, alongside a number of other public sector agencies. For him, this was the second time, after his technical management role was restructured in 2024. While that process was difficult enough, the comms this time were highlighting the integration of AI as a cost-saving tool. “They say it’s not about firing people, but hey, my whole team will go.”
For Paul, the timing could not have been worse. He and his partner are expecting a child and recently purchased their first house.
“I’ve worked so hard to stay up to date and relevant, lots of tech training, ironically including AI, and I’ve advocated for the strategy that management roles can be assisted by AI, not replaced by them. So I feel a bit stupid now.”
Exacerbating Paul’s distress has been the very public nature of the cuts. Headlines such as “Plans to replace thousands of public service jobs with AI”, or quotes from politicians like: “The overhaul will lower costs, tighten agency budgets and make government operations more efficient” have felt insulting.
The experience Paul is having has been described as Fobo – fear of becoming obsolete – and it’s a very real fear.
Recent commentary has noted that Fobo is a growing workplace anxiety. People worry their roles will become irrelevant due to technology, and many aren’t sure how to prepare for the shift. This is exactly Paul’s dilemma. He sought our help to figure out his career next steps, as well as how to cope with the emotional fallout of the announcements.
As we explored Paul’s options, several constraints became clear. His profession has been hit hard by people cutbacks, with more expected. He could find a way to retrain for a different role or start again in an alternative industry, but has no financial buffer to do so. Even if he did there are no guarantees that the AI trend for replacing workers won’t impact him in a new role.
Given this is such a rapidly evolving field it’s smart to seek expert input.
Don’t get stuck in doom, do prepare actively
In April researchers at MIT Future Tech published results of empirical examinations of AI’s real world impact, analysing what tasks are faster or could be replaced by AI. The researchers say predictions of doom are not accurate or helpful. Rather the takeaway from this data is for workers to view AI developments as a rising tide – you can see it coming and have time to prepare. Paul, of course, is already doing this by seeking help and thinking ahead.
As for what to prepare, experts suggest that as AI automates more technical and analytical tasks, uniquely human capabilities are becoming more critical. In a recent paper Dr Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic and Dr Reece Akhtar recommend that we all cultivate the following human skills that machines can’t replace:
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