Acknowledge uncertainty but communicate clearly about the coming upheavals from AI

AI is no longer quietly rewriting workflows. The alarms are coming from inside the boardroom. Executives at Ford, Amazon and JP Morgan are publicly warning of deep job losses as AI reshapes their operating models. Ford’s Jim Farley has said half of all white-collar roles are under threat. McKinsey is rattled saying ‘this is existential’. Amazon’s Andy Jassy calls AI the next wave of disruption. JP Morgan has already accelerated large-scale automation behind closed doors. These are not forecasts from think tanks, they are strategic signals from the people closest to the machine, and it’s fair to say, maybe with a thumb on the scale.

Recent US labour data supports the shift, although admittedly with tariffs and other Trumponomic madness there are certainly other factors at play too. A US government analysis published in July estimated that three per cent of American workers have already been replaced by AI tools, with the trend accelerating fastest in professional services and administration. The World Economic Forum anticipates up to 83m jobs eliminated globally by 2030. Forecasts vary, but momentum is clear. AI is replacing tasks and shrinking teams as much as streamlining workflows. Self-actualisation and UBI is not around the corner for most of us.

So what’s next?

Executives must be honest about what is known and what remains unknowable. McKinsey and other analysts forecast that full AI adoption across industries may stretch into the 2040s. However, most predictions underestimate the compounding impact of self-improving tools. AI models are not only faster and cheaper, they also learn how to automate new roles without human prompting. Generative AI’s capability to write code, summarise legal briefs, interpret medical data and manage........

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