Concerns about artificial intelligence (AI) displacing jobs have primarily come from junior workers who believe that AI benefits those with more task-based responsibilities rather than higher-level workers. However, a recent report shows that 30% of senior-level employees fear being fired for lacking AI skills. Steve Preston, the president and CEO of Goodwill Industries International, believes that if there is a significant skills gap, some retirees may choose to retire or find different work. But for those in senior positions who have valuable institutional and customer knowledge, companies want to retain them and help them become more productive. Contrary to the stereotype that older workers struggle with adapting to new technology, Preston recognizes that AI can provide unique advantages for them. Older workers with a deeper understanding of the business can effectively leverage AI to gain insights and apply judgment to the results.

Jeetu Patel, an executive at Cisco, states that AI is currently replacing tasks rather than whole jobs, and predicts that the next few years will focus more on augmentation rather than displacement for senior-level workers who enhance their skills in an AI-driven workplace. As technology advances, experts predict a surge in demand for soft skills. Nikhil Arora, CEO of Epignosis (parent company of TalentLMS), emphasizes the importance of touching and motivating employees in a human way. Arora suggests that senior management should consider reverse mentoring, where they seek the perspective of less experienced employees who are more familiar with AI. This approach, coupled with structured training journeys, can help organizations innovate faster. Generative AI has the potential to automate nearly a third of hours worked in the U. S. , but offloading the wrong people could lead to unintended consequences such as losing valuable institutional knowledge. Preston suggests embracing the value of AI to leverage future jobs for older workers instead of assuming they will be left behind.