Will AI Take Your Job—or Supercharge Your Career?

TL;DR – What You Need to Know in 30 Seconds

• Generative AI is already reshaping careers, causing job losses in industries from finance to creative roles.
• Workers must continually upskill, strategically plan career moves, and focus on roles AI complements rather than replaces.
• Companies and governments must significantly increase retraining efforts to help workers adapt effectively.

Is AI About to Steal Your Job? Here’s How to Stay Ahead in Asia

For many, AI started as a helpful assistant for menial tasks, quick research, or even generating funny memes. But today, it’s taking a serious turn, reshaping industries, displacing jobs, and changing careers overnight.

Just ask Jacky Tan. After thriving for over 15 years as a freelance marketing consultant in Singapore, Jacky found his livelihood disrupted—not just by the pandemic—but by generative AI tools like ChatGPT, which empowered his clients to produce their own content. The result? Jacky, along with countless others, faced a stark choice: adapt quickly or risk becoming obsolete.

Jacky pivoted completely, leaving marketing to open a successful home-based food business, CheekyDon, specialising in Japanese rice bowls. But not everyone can—or will—reinvent themselves so easily. As AI continues to infiltrate the workforce, what can you do to ensure you’re prepared?

Job Disruption: More Real Than Ever

It’s no longer theoretical. Meta, ByteDance, DBS Bank, Grab, and Morgan Stanley have all announced layoffs or workforce reshuffling directly linked to AI-driven efficiencies. Analysts predict as many as 200,000 banking jobs globally could vanish within five years due to AI, highlighting sectors like finance, customer service, risk management, and tech as especially vulnerable.

The numbers don’t lie: The World Economic Forum anticipates 11 million new AI-related jobs globally by 2030—but 9 million existing roles will disappear. And the shift won’t just hit repetitive tasks. Highly skilled roles like writers, programmers, PR professionals, and even legal experts face substantial disruption.

Why AI Displaces Jobs—and Creates New Ones

Here’s the paradox: while AI promises increased productivity, it often leads to job losses because current skills don’t match the needs of new AI-augmented roles. Retraining existing workers is crucial but challenging. In places like Singapore, where skilled workers are scarce, companies struggle to balance the speed of AI integration with retaining talent.

The good news? Jobs involving deep human interactions, emotional intelligence, strategic thinking, or managing AI tools themselves remain safer—for now.

How to Stay Relevant in an AI-Dominated Market

So, how can you protect your career from being displaced by AI? Here are actionable steps tailored for the rapidly shifting Asian job market:

1. Continuous Upskilling Is Non-Negotiable
The days of one-off training are over. Commit to lifelong learning by acquiring skills in AI-related fields, from data analytics to AI management tools. Invest in soft skills—like critical thinking, empathy, and strategic communication—which AI struggles to replicate effectively.

2. Proactively Plan Your Next Career Move
Ask yourself, as EY’s Samir Bedi suggests: “What am I upskilling for?” Plan two or three career steps ahead, not just for immediate skill gaps. Explore lateral career transitions that diversify your skillset, making you versatile across industries.

3. Look for Roles Complemented by AI, Not Replaced by It
Jobs with tasks AI can augment rather than entirely replace—like managing automated systems, strategic marketing, or roles that require significant human touchpoints—are safer bets.

Employers Must Step Up, Too

The responsibility doesn’t rest solely on workers. Companies must actively retrain employees to handle AI disruptions effectively. Currently, only around half of Singaporean workers feel their employers provide sufficient training opportunities. Organisations that actively support their teams through retraining will reap long-term rewards, maintaining both institutional knowledge and market reputation.

Asia’s Workforce at the Crossroads

We’re facing nothing less than the Fourth Industrial Revolution, driven by generative AI. Unlike previous waves of automation, AI can replace tasks once thought too complex or creative for machines. But remember, while AI might take your current role, it also opens doors to entirely new career paths—provided you’re ready to step through them.

Are you prepared to let AI shape your future—or will you shape your own future with AI? Let us know in the comments below!

You may also like:

• Young Workers are Embracing ChatGPT
• 10 ChatGPT Prompts to Ignite Your Business Evolution
• You can also learn more at Singapore’s SkillsFuture by tapping here.