Editor's Note :What Would I Do If AI Took Over My Job?

Over the Weekend, this question landed on me like an apocalypse.

What would I do if AI took over my job?

Who would I be?

Who am I outside of work?

For a moment, it felt like the future had arrived without warning. The same future they once spoke about in speculative tones is here - and with it, a quiet but persistent fear: the fear of becoming irrelevant.

As a certified overthinker and planner, my brain did what it always does in moments of uncertainty - it went into work mode. I started researching. Reading. Watching. Listening. Trying to get ahead of the panic.

And somewhere in the middle of all that information, a sobering realisation emerged:

AI is not the enemy. Ignorance is.

There’s a scripture that says, “My people perish for lack of knowledge.” That line hit differently this time.

Because the real threat isn’t that AI will wake up tomorrow and take my job. The real threat is that someone who understands how to use AI efficiently might outperform someone who refuses to learn it.

So I did something practical. I separated my role into three parts:

What AI can already do.

What it will likely be able to do soon.

What it cannot meaningfully replicate.

The results were revealing.

AI can draft, summarise, generate, automate, and analyse at speed. It can produce structured outputs with impressive efficiency. In some industries, it is already replacing teams for imagery, copy, and even commercial production.

But the parts of my work that are least at risk?

They are the parts we often invest in the least.

Human interaction.

Active listening.

Conflict resolution.

Navigating workplace politics.

Stakeholder engagement.

Character.

Trust-building.

Embedding learning so it actually sticks.

AI can simulate conversation. It cannot carry lived experience.

It can generate recommendations. It cannot read a room.

It can analyse data. It cannot manage fragile egos, cultural nuance, or power dynamics.

In the creative industry, the shift is undeniable. Organisations are using AI to create imagery and campaigns where entire teams were once required. Designers are rightly concerned about authenticity, brand identity, and creative erosion.

These are not irrational fears - they are legitimate structural concerns.

But panic is not a strategy.

If anything, this moment demands a mindset reset.

AI will take some jobs. It already has.

But it is also a tool for greater efficiency - for those willing to understand it.

Upskilling is no longer optional. Awareness is no longer passive. Watching from the sidelines is no longer neutral.

The future belongs to those who can:

Integrate AI intelligently.

Apply human judgement critically.

Pivot without losing their identity.

Deepen the skills machines cannot replicate.

And perhaps most importantly - separate who they are from what they do.

Governments will have to confront the economic consequences of displacement. Policies will need to evolve. The social impact cannot be ignored. But individually, the question is more immediate:

Will we adapt - or will we retreat?

The fear is real. I felt it.

But fear without action becomes paralysis.

Fear with knowledge becomes strategy.

And that is a much better place to build from.