As I write this, the global AI Impact Summit is happening in New Delhi. The first ever AI summit in the developing world. Prime Minister Modi just delivered his inaugural address. UN Secretary General is there. Sam Altman, Sundar Pichai, business leaders from across the globe are gathered at Bharat Mandapam.
And my LinkedIn feed is full of the same question. "Will AI take my job?"
Last week, a colleague working in banking operations called me. He had just read another article predicting massive job losses from AI. He sounded genuinely worried about his future in financial services.
I understand this fear. But I also think we are looking at this completely wrong.
What the Leaders Actually Said Today
Let me tell you what struck me about Modi's speech this morning. He presented the "MANAV Vision" for AI. But more importantly, listen to what he actually said.
"While some see fear in AI, others see the future. I can say with utmost pride that India finds its future in Artificial Intelligence."
Then he said something even more important. "AI must not reduce human beings to mere data points. It must serve as an instrument of human welfare."
UN Secretary General Guterres was clear. "We must invest in workers, so AI augments human potential, not replaces it." He announced a global fund to help developing countries build AI capacity including skills, data access, and computing power.
Sundar Pichai said it plainly. "AI will undeniably reshape the workforce, automating some roles, evolving others, and creating entirely new careers."
Creating entirely new careers. Not just destroying them.
What I Have Seen in Financial Services
In banking environments I have worked with, I have watched AI transform how people work over the last 18 months. Let me share what actually happened.
Teams used to spend days creating compliance reports. Gathering data from multiple systems. Formatting spreadsheets. Writing summaries. Now AI generates the first draft in minutes. But here is the key part. People still need human judgment to validate the data, interpret regulatory requirements, and make strategic recommendations.
The compliance work did not disappear. But now instead of spending time on data gathering and formatting, people spend it on analysis and decision making. Understanding risk. Advising business units. Preventing problems before they happen.
My colleague who was worried? I told him what I am telling you. Do not compete with AI on repetitive tasks. Partner with it to focus on what AI cannot do.
The Real Question Nobody Asks
Everyone asks "Will AI take my job?" But the better question is "What can I do with AI that I could not do before?"
In product development work, I used to spend hours creating technical specifications and architecture documentation. Now AI helps me generate first drafts. But I still need to add the context that only I know. The business constraints. The regulatory requirements. The organizational dynamics. The tradeoffs between different approaches.
The work did not go away. It evolved. And I use the time I saved to focus on strategic thinking. Product vision. Team leadership. Things that require human judgment and experience.
What You Should Actually Do
If you are worried about AI, here is my practical advice based on what I have seen work in financial services and technology teams.
First, start using AI tools today. Pick one task you do regularly that feels repetitive. Use ChatGPT, Claude, or Copilot to help you do it faster. But review it critically. Add your expertise. Make it better.
Second, identify your unique value. Make a list of everything you do. Divide it into two columns.
Column A: Things AI can help with (writing code, generating reports, analyzing data, creating documentation)
Column B: Things requiring human judgment (architecture decisions, stakeholder management, strategic planning, mentoring, understanding business context)
Use AI heavily for Column A. This frees up time to get better at Column B, which is what makes you valuable.
Third, move up the abstraction stack. If you write code, learn system design. If you manage infrastructure, learn business strategy. If you handle operations, learn how to prevent problems through better architecture.
AI is good at implementation. Humans are still better at strategy and decision making.
Fourth, develop communication skills. As AI handles more technical tasks, your ability to communicate well becomes more valuable. Explaining complex tradeoffs. Building consensus. Mentoring others. These skills matter more than ever.
The Pattern I Keep Seeing
In organizations I have worked with, the people thriving with AI have one thing in common. They stopped trying to compete with it and started partnering with it.
I have seen data analysts who used to spend hours cleaning datasets now use AI for that. They focus on interpreting patterns and making business recommendations.
I have seen solutions architects who used to write detailed technical specs now use AI to generate them. They focus on understanding business problems and designing solutions that actually fit organizational constraints.
I have seen security engineers who used to manually review configurations now use AI to scan for issues. They focus on security architecture and threat modeling that requires deep expertise.
Do you see the pattern? AI handles repetitive work. Humans handle judgment based work.
The Uncomfortable Truth
Let me be direct. AI will not take your job. But someone who knows how to use AI might.
If you refuse to learn AI tools, you will fall behind people who embrace them. Not because AI replaces you, but because others become more productive while you stay at the same level.
When email became standard in business, some people refused to use it. They insisted on printed memos. Where are those people now?
AI is the same shift. It is not AI versus humans. It is people who use AI versus people who do not.
What Modi's GPS Analogy Really Means
Modi used a GPS analogy in his speech that I think captures this perfectly. He said "We must give AI an open sky and also keep the command in our hands, like GPS. GPS shows us the way, but the final call on which direction we should go is ours."
That is exactly right. AI shows us options, generates possibilities, handles repetitive work. But humans make the decisions. We choose the direction. We apply judgment. We take responsibility.
In financial services, this is critical. AI can analyze transaction patterns and flag anomalies. But a human needs to decide whether something is actually fraud or just unusual behavior. AI can suggest investment strategies. But a human needs to understand the client's actual needs and risk tolerance. AI can generate compliance reports. But a human needs to interpret what the regulations actually require.
My Challenge to You
Try this for 30 days. Pick one repetitive task. Use AI to help you do it faster. But review the output critically. Add your judgment and expertise.
Then use the time you saved on something more strategic. Something that requires your experience. Something AI cannot do.
After 30 days, ask yourself honestly: do you feel more valuable or less valuable?
My prediction, based on watching this play out across teams, is that you will feel more capable. You will realize AI amplifies your abilities rather than replacing them.
What the Summit Really Represents
The AI Impact Summit happening in Delhi right now is not about replacing workers. It is about solving problems at unprecedented scale.
Over 500 AI leaders are there. Google announced 15 billion dollar investment in India. Mukesh Ambani announced 10 lakh crore rupees for AI infrastructure. Countries from across the world are participating.
They are not gathering to discuss job elimination. They are discussing how AI can improve healthcare, education, agriculture, financial inclusion. How to make AI work for people.
The theme is "Sarvajan Hitaya, Sarvajan Sukhaya" which means welfare for all, happiness for all. That tells you everything about the real intent.
Final Thoughts
I started this talking about fear. The fear I hear from colleagues about AI taking jobs.
But when I look at what is actually happening, I see opportunity. Yes, AI will change how we work. But it will also enable us to do things we could not do before. It will free us from repetitive work to focus on creative, strategic thinking.
The people who will struggle are not those whose jobs can be partially automated. They are the ones who refuse to adapt.
The people who will thrive are those who embrace AI as a partner. Who use it to become more productive. Who focus on developing uniquely human skills like judgment, creativity, and communication that AI cannot replicate.
Stop worrying about whether AI will take your job. Start thinking about what you could accomplish if you had AI as a tool to amplify your abilities.
That future is not coming. It is here now. And the question is not whether you will be part of it, but how actively you will participate in shaping it.
JD