A Student’s Reflection
This is the final year of my school. A year also to dream and make life decisions. As I prepare for my board exams, I also find myself increasingly thinking about my career and college. The same basic questions, nevertheless. One, everyone who is about to leave school ponders.
What careers choices do I have? What future do those choices lead to? and in which career path, I will flourish the most? In exploring my choices, I hold on to an inherent belief that the world is full of opportunities, and with hard work, perseverance, and passion, I can pursue the career of my choice.
However, as I continue to explore, I also find myself facing a world that seems to be moving quickly away from beliefs. From classrooms to coffee shops, news panels, and even the United Nations, there exists an overarching debate about the future of work: how Artificial Intelligence (AI) is shaping work and careers rapidly, and how it is headed to take away many of our jobs and career options.
I find leaders driving the AI revolution increasingly reinforcing this. In a recent CNN interview, Anthropic’s CEO Dario Amodei described a future where “cancer is cured, the economy grows at 10% a year, and yet 20% of people don’t have jobs.” In other forums, Sam Altman of OpenAI voices similar concerns. I am worried. This is not good for my generation.
In all these discussions, I fail to understand the paradox that is so striking: AI promises to cure diseases, boost economies, and improve lives, yet when it comes to humanity’s most pressing need, meaningful employment, there is so much fear and uncertainty.
In my readings, I also noticed two significant global discussions taking place recently. The UN Human Development Report 2025 and the UN Global Dialogue on AI Governance. Placing AI at the center of their debates, both reflected the tension: how technology is already reshaping work, skills, and livelihoods across the world.
But as I deep dived the Human Development Report, I was so struck by what was missing. No explicit reference to the informal gig economy or gig workers, despite their promising future. I thought a separate section was essential given that already they’ve become a lifeline for many around the world and represent one of the fastest-growing segments of workforce.
If formal employment is set to shrink, will gig work expand? Not by choice, but by necessity? My curiosity stems naturally as I stand at an important crossroads in my life, wondering about my career and future. To me, having the complete knowledge of what kind of work opportunities will exist in the future and how can I prepare for them remains crucial. My life depends on this information.
To be honest, reading the same narrative about AI taking away jobs in the future had also started to become overwhelming, till I started to remind myself that progress is the natural rhythm of human evolution, and the progress in AI is part of that rhythm.
Human evolution is full of examples where with every wave of innovation, some professions indeed disappeared. But, many others emerged. There was once a time when people lit streetlamps by hand, a profession that vanished overnight with the arrival of electricity. “No one mourns the loss of the lamplighter today”, says Sam Altman. New opportunities followed, leading to brighter, safer, and more connected cities.
Embracing this thinking, I have begun to realize that I need to approach jobs, the future of work, and my career differently. Instead of worrying about how AI might take away opportunities, I need to concentrate on equipping myself with abilities and skills that help me stay open to lifelong learning, and adaptable to the rapidly changing world of work shaped by technology. I need to focus on how I can use AI to create new resources, opportunities, and progress. Importantly, how can I help AI revitalize work — not just for myself, but for everyone?
With each passing day, I am viewing my career as one that is not set within boundaries, but one which is more dynamic, and thus exciting. One that gives me an opportunity to look at the world and progress with an open mind. Most importantly, one that empowers me to embrace technology, value coexistence, and look ahead to a future filled with hope and possibility.
I fail to understand the paradox that is so striking: AI promises to cure diseases, boost economies, and improve lives, yet when it comes to humanity’s most pressing need, meaningful employment, there is so much fear and uncertainty.
