Career Guidance for the AI Era and the Future of Work
Artificial intelligence has become enmeshed in the modern business landscape. Nearly 80 percent of companies now report using AI tools in some capacity, with almost 90 percent indicating plans to increase their AI-related budgets in the next year.
While companies are obviously excited about the dawning of the age of AI, workers have their concerns. A 2025 Pew Research Center study revealed that 52 percent of workers are worried about the impact of AI on the future of work, with 32 percent expressing fear that AI systems will eliminate job opportunities.
The key question on many workers' minds as they look to the future is whether AI is driving the labor market toward mass unemployment or mass reinvention. Generative AI, for instance, has the potential to augment human abilities or even supplant them. AI is clearly changing the job market and how people approach work, but its ultimate impact remains to be seen.
“I believe we’re heading toward mass reinvention, but we must be intentional about how we approach it,” says Pedro David Espinoza, founder and General Partner of PDE Ventures. “AI will surely replace some jobs, but it will also create entirely new ones we haven’t even imagined yet.” Espinoza encourages both companies and workers to contribute to a new business landscape in which human expertise and AI's capabilities combine to create new opportunities and greater productivity.
Espinoza is a Peruvian-American author, entrepreneur, TED speaker, and investor whose work as an angel investor in a wide range of industries has given him a unique perspective on the shifts that AI is bringing to a wide range of business sectors. He has dedicated his work to empowering underserved communities through technology and entrepreneurship. Pan Peru USA, which Espinoza founded to train and equip the next generation of Latina leaders, has already built 12 modern libraries, created nine greenhouses, fabricated three water reservoirs, constructed nine computer labs, empowered 10,000 children in STEM education, and reforested 15,000 trees.
As AI technologies flourish, the workforce will need hybrid thinkers
AI's ability to automate key business functions points to a future in which some common positions, such as data entry clerks and customer service representatives, will become obsolete. However, AI experts believe that the rise of AI can also lead to the creation of a wide range of new jobs for workers.
“We’re going to see AI development create the need for jobs and skills that blend humanity and tech,” Espinoza says. “Future careers will include empathy engineers, ethicists, and data translators who can explain algorithms and the value of AI in real human terms. We'll need people who can sit at the intersection of innovation and inclusion. I think the future belongs to hybrid thinkers who know how to code but also know how to connect.”
Prompt engineers are an example of new positions emerging in the age of AI that require the type of hybrid thinking Espinoza refers to. These engineers combine technical knowledge of AI with language mastery to develop query prompts that yield high-quality responses from generative AI platforms.
To take advantage of the new roles emerging in the workplace, employees may need to commit to upskilling. Those who can assist in deploying AI will provide high-value work in the new landscape.
But experts also feel that AI literacy alone won't provide job security. The future of work will belong to those who can blend tech skills with uniquely human capabilities.
“Learn the tools that are shaping AI models, things like Python, SQL, and AI frameworks, but also learn how to speak, how to listen, and how to lead with empathy,” Espinoza says. “I’ve found that people who know how to tell their story, where they’ve come from, and what they care about are the ones who inspire trust. And trust is currency in this new world of work. The key is being a bridge and not just a builder.”
In a world of automation, human skills become a superpower
AI's high automation capabilities promise to shape the future of work in ways that are impossible to predict. For those anxious about how automation technologies will impact jobs, Espinoza advises embracing diversity and the resilience it can empower.
“Diversify yourself — not just your resume but your life,” Espinoza says. “I’ve created income streams from startups, real estate, Spotify royalties, and book sales because resilience is a structure and not just a mindset. Strengthening deeply human skills like empathy, creativity, and storytelling will also increase your resilience. In a world of automation, being deeply human is your superpower.”
While the concept of diversification is often associated with financial planning, Espinoza applies it more broadly to personal and professional development. Engaging in a variety of pursuits across industries, roles, and creative outlets not only mitigates economic risk but also cultivates adaptability and emotional intelligence. These uniquely human capabilities, which cannot be easily replaced by machines, are increasingly valuable in a technology-driven economy. In this context, diversifying one’s experiences becomes a practical pathway to developing the empathy, creativity, and critical thinking that constitute the core of human resilience — and ultimately, a competitive advantage in an automated world.
The rapid rise of artificial intelligence is already reshaping the types of work employees are being asked to do and promises to continue to have an impact on jobs for years to come. To remain relevant in a workplace impacted by AI, workers must strive to be adaptable so they can embrace the opportunities the AI transition is bringing to human workers.
“The key is adaptability,” Espinoza says. “The people who thrive won’t be the ones who cling to the old system, but those who reimagine the system itself. Let’s not outsource everything to AI. Let’s invest in people, build trust, and create a future where technology amplifies our values and not just our productivity.”