If you feel like you're been inundated with AI-related layoff announcements, you're not alone. Workers are increasingly grappling with how to stay competitive — and relevant — in today's job market.
Michael Housman, the founder and lead strategist at AI-ccelerator, a firm specializing in AI education and consulting, told Business Insider that many jobs are at stake as AI transforms the workplace, not just roles in certain industries.
The World Economic Forum's 2026 Global Risks Report estimates that 92 million workers could be displaced by 2030.
"Frankly, any knowledge worker is at stake," Housman told Business Insider.
Rather than spiraling, here are six concrete steps you can take to help future-proof your career:
1. Audit your job function #
Alex King, the founder and managing director of AI talent acquisition company ExpandIQ, told Business Insider that he sees jobs falling into three buckets: full automation, augmentation, and transformation.
Most people will fall into the augmentation category, meaning some parts of the job will be automated, but not all, and it's worth evaluating the level of risk to your role.
King said that workers should conduct an "audit" of their job function. That involves reviewing their job description and creating a bulleted list of what they do on a day-to-day basis.
" If it's more predictable, you're highly vulnerable to being automated by AI," King said. "Versus if it's a more judgment-based role or a relationship-based role, you're a little bit less vulnerable."
Housman, who is also the author of "Future Proof: Transform your Business with AI (or Get Left Behind)" said companies are "rapidly sprinting" at implementing AI solutions in areas with a lot of repetitive work that don't require a lot of cognitive load or complex problem solving, like responding to emails.
2. Focus on impact #
Job seekers often describe what they did without explaining its impact, King said. As jobs evolve, communicating that value to employers will become increasingly important, especially as companies look to quantify a worker's contribution.
Executives like LinkedIn's engineering VP said side projects can boost a candidate's chance of landing a job. In interviews, make sure you can showcase a concept that you brought to life, whether that's products you've helped develop or a GitHub repository of side projects.
3. Sharpen your AI chops #
As many roles move toward "augmentation" rather than outright replacement, improving your AI skillset may make the difference between keeping your job and losing it to someone who knows the technology better.
The CEO of Accenture, for example, announced in September that the firm would cut staff that it couldn't reskill for the AI era.
John Morgan, president of career transition and mobility and leadership development at talent firm LHH, said that employees need not only to build a baseline of AI literacy skills, but also get "deep into it."
"You can have any type of job, but you're going to have a co-pilot of some sort that's going to be helping you with that job," Morgan said, adding that the more skilled you are with AI, the better position you are in.
King warned that many companies aren't yet upskilling employees, so workers should take the initiative themselves. He said there are many free resources to learn about the fundamentals of AI.** **One worker who transitioned to an AI role mentioned watching YouTube videos to build skills in different areas.
4. Lean into soft skills #
As AI increasingly automates tasks, King said that workers need to "double down" on soft skills. That's a mantra that many execs have emphasized, from IBM's chief scientist to Cisco's innovation officer.
"People who have those soft skills around self-awareness and emotional intelligence are going to do really well in the future because that's obviously something AI cannot do," King said.
Morgan from LHH said that critical thinking has always been important, but now it's key to guiding companies on AI strategy and to delivering value.
"Asking the right question is becoming increasingly important," Morgan said, adding that it will differentiate job** **candidates.
5. Level-up #
Now that AI is taking on more basic tasks, many employers are expecting their workers to operate at a higher level. EY's AI leader, for example, told Business Insider that entry-level workers are expected to bring managerial skills to their first day on the job.
Michael Anton, the cofounder and CEO at AI startup Huper, told Business Insider that all workers have essentially received a promotion with AI — and they need to act like it.
"Everyone has moved one step up, and if you focus on that, you're going to be significantly more successful," Anton, who leads the AI-powered organizational intelligence platform that provides a digital chief of staff to leaders.
The CEO said that individual contributors need to model the role of a manager, and managers need to adopt the skillset of the leader above them.
Instead of spending time on the grunt work, employees are increasingly expected to focus on strategy and tasks that require critical thinking, he said.
6. Consider entrepreneurship #
Housman said entrepreneurship can offer some people more mobility, flexibility, and a better salary. Plus, the barrier to entry has decreased with the advent of new tech.
"You're going to get a lot of solopreneurs that can start entirely new businesses from scratch, using these agentic tools," Housman said.
Housman said employees should learn about the "latest and greatest" tools in their sector and identify opportunities to create a business.
For example, Housman said he worked with a social media manager who started dabbling with text-to-image tools and ended up shifting to animation, where he at least doubled his salary. "I would start figuring out, 'hey, how could I play with these tools? How could I be a problem solver that leverages AI?'" Housman said.An earlier version of this story appeared on February 5, 2026.