The other day, I found myself saying something that has stayed with me: we want AI to do our work, not our jobs. It sounds like wordplay, but it captures the core of the AI debate. People are excited about its potential yet fearful of its consequences. The worry isn’t unfounded: if AI takes our jobs, how do we earn? How do we stay relevant? How do we matter?

The reality is simpler. AI is just technology. And technology has always been progress. The wheel, the printing press, the steam engine, the internet – every advancement moved humanity forward. AI is simply the latest chapter. And like every wave of progress, it demands adaptation.

With progress, there is always change. Our role as humans is to adapt. Our role as leaders is to prepare, to plan, to transform, and then to start again. Change is not a one-off event. It’s a cycle. It repeats every time a new technology emerges. AI is not unique in this regard – but the pace and scale of its impact certainly are.

The danger is not the technology itself. The danger is our response to it. Do we embrace it? Do we fear it? Or worse, do we ignore it and get left behind?

We already live with a digital divide. For decades, entire generations and communities have missed out – held back by poor design, lack of access, lack of education, or simple fear. AI has the potential to widen this divide even further. Those who lean in will leap forward. Those who hold back may be locked out entirely.

Leaders cannot allow that to happen. We must equip our teams, our organisations, and our societies to step into the AI age. That means training, reskilling, thoughtful adoption, and above all, clear communication about what AI means for people’s lives and livelihoods.

Work vs. Jobs

AI can – and should – take away the grind of work. The repetitive, the manual, the mundane. The endless reporting. The time-consuming data pulls. The formatting, filing, processing, and reconciling. That’s work. Let the machines do it.

But jobs are something else. Jobs are judgement. Jobs are creativity. Jobs are empathy, leadership, and decision-making. Jobs are where people make a difference. This is where humans thrive. That distinction – between work and jobs – is where the future will be won or lost.

Some call it human in the loop. That’s fine, but let’s be careful. I don’t want humans to feel like hamsters in a wheel – still working hard, but trapped in a shinier cage. It should be more like spinning a plate: we set it in motion, we give it guidance, we correct when needed. We control the system with a light touch, not with heavy effort.

This isn’t about stepping aside and letting AI run wild. It’s about leveraging AI intelligently – keeping human oversight, but minimising human drudgery.

AI is not about the survival of the fittest. It’s about the survival of the most adaptive. History shows this again and again. Businesses, leaders, and societies that resist change fall behind. Those who adapt, who learn, who grow – they win.

AI gives us the same choice. We can ignore it and risk irrelevance. Or we can engage, experiment, learn, and use it to our advantage. This is not revolution versus resistance. This is evolution. Progress is inevitable, but success is optional.

The Start of Better Work

As leaders, our role is not to shield people from change. It is to prepare them for it. That means:

• Educating teams – not just how AI works, but what it means for them personally.

• Investing in skills – helping people build capabilities AI cannot replicate.

• Redesigning processes – so AI handles the routine and humans handle the remarkable.

• Communicating clearly – about fears, opportunities, and responsibilities.

• Leading by example – using AI in our own work, showing both its strengths and its limits.

We cannot delegate this. If we don’t lead the change, the change will lead us.

AI should do our work, not our jobs. That is the line in the sand. Get this right, and AI becomes an accelerator, not a threat. It becomes the tool that frees us, not the force that replaces us.

The goal is not the end of work. The goal is the start of better work – where humans do what humans do best, and machines do the rest.

The leaders, organisations, and individuals who embrace this will not only survive. They will thrive.