Shop Talk: HBR Author Deborah Perry Piscione On Talking About AI Disruption At Work
If Deborah Perry Piscione and other workforce prognosticators are right, the next few years are going to see radical changes in employment.
According to Oxford Economics, robots could replace up to 20 million jobs globally by 2030. Last year Goldman Sachs published a report estimating that AI could impact 300 million jobs globally due to automation.
Specifically, AI and the metaverse – defined as “an ecosystem of computer-generated, networked extended reality (XR)” — are going to upend work as we know it. We’re already seeing their effects on industries like retail, manufacturing, healthcare and banking.
Piscione is the author of several books, including the forthcoming Employment is Dead: How Disruptive Technologies Will Revolutionize the Way We Work (Harvard Business Review Press, Jan 28 2025 with co-author Josh Drean). She is the CEO of the Work3 Institute, an advisory firm that helps enterprises evolve into an AI/web3 workforce. A thought leader in innovation + AI/web3, advisor, serial entrepreneur and global keynote speaker, her other work includes the 2013 NYT bestseller Secrets of Silicon Valley: What Everyone Else Can Learn From the Innovation Capital of the World.
We talked to Piscione about how thought leaders can navigate the coming changes.
We have no idea how many job losses there are going to be, because there isn’t an industry that isn’t going to be touched by this.
The Helm: Let’s start with how leaders can start to understand what’s coming.
Deborah Perry Piscione: I think that the biggest question that leaders are facing right now is head count versus increased productivity.
We’re going to have increased productivity, that we know for a fact. The question for leaders then becomes, How much can we absorb? What positions can we start to eliminate? And that’s where it gets really, really tricky. I mean, I’m sure you’ve seen the Goldman Sachs report and McKinsey came out with some numbers. We have no idea how many job losses there are going to be, because there isn’t an industry that isn’t going to be touched by this. I get interviewed a lot around AI and I’m like, Do not underestimate decentralized work, which is coming right behind it.
Helm: And by decentralized work you’re talking about the metaverse?
DPP: It’s not just the metaverse but the blockchain and DAOs (decentralized autonomous organizations – that is, an organization managed in whole or in part by decentralized computer program) and smart contracts and the inoperability between all of those technologies. We still need the technology to evolve. It’s just not in a place where we can use it daily.
Helm: How can CEOs effectively message about the coming changes?
Everybody’s talking about up-skilling. But people need time to adapt to how AI can assist in their specific job function overall.
DPP: The first thing they need to do is get their people up to speed on where this world is heading. Everybody’s talking about up-skilling. But people need time to adapt to how AI can assist in their specific job function overall.
And then the leader or leadership needs to understand not just these technologies that are coming, but also this next generation in the workforce. And also how their business can evolve from a traditional workforce to a hybrid workforce.
For example, digital twinning (a virtual representation of an object or system designed to accurately reflect a physical object) creates greater efficiency for everything – for manufacturing, innovation, supply chain – by taking all the guesswork out of it. So I don’t need an employee. I need a worker somewhere around the world and AI to assist and that individual who’s overseeing the AI can now just work with a smart contract and a DAO to get the work done. So they have to shift from this traditional mindset and Taylorism (a method of industrial management designed to increase efficiency and productivity) to asking how to prepare for this next generation of workers coming in and to create this bifurcated work track.
Helm: What should CEOs do to become thought leaders in their respective industries when it comes to these changes?
DPP: CEOs need to take bold, concrete actions that set them apart.
Take Satya Nadella of Microsoft, for example. He’s not just talking about the future of work; he’s reshaping it by implementing a hybrid work model that allows employees to work from home up to 50% of the time, even post-pandemic. This move demonstrates a real commitment to flexible work arrangements and sets a precedent for other large corporations.
Investing in research and development is another key strategy. Google’s CEO Sundar Pichai has been vocal about the company’s investments in AI research and its potential to create new job categories. By funding and publicizing such research, CEOs can position themselves at the forefront of understanding how technology will reshape employment.
Marc Benioff of Salesforce is another prime example. He’s taken a strong stance on the ethical implications of AI in the workplace, publicly advocating for responsible AI development and even appointing a Chief Ethical and Humane Use Officer. This shows a deep understanding of the potential impacts of AI on employment and society at large.
CEOs should also be actively engaging in cross-industry collaborations. Look at how Ginni Rometty, former CEO of IBM, partnered with community colleges to create “new collar” jobs, bridging the gap between traditional education and the skills needed for the AI-driven workforce. This kind of initiative not only addresses skills gaps but also positions the CEO as a forward-thinking problem solver.
Publishing thought-provoking content is crucial. Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn, has written extensively on the changing nature of work and careers in his book The Startup of You. His insights, shared through various media channels, have established him as a go-to voice on the future of employment.
CEOs should also be visible at high-profile events discussing the future of work. Consider Dara Khosrowshahi of Uber, who has spoken at the World Economic Forum about the gig economy and the need for a new social contract for workers in the digital age. Such platforms allow CEOs to shape the conversation around evolving employment models.
… CEOs should be creating tangible programs that prepare their workforce for the future
Lastly, CEOs should be creating tangible programs that prepare their workforce for the future. AT&T’s former CEO Randall Stephenson launched a massive reskilling program, investing $1 billion to retrain nearly half of the company’s workforce for new, tech-focused roles. This kind of concrete action speaks volumes about a CEO’s commitment to navigating the changing employment landscape.
By taking these kinds of specific, action-oriented steps, CEOs can establish themselves as true thought leaders, not just commentators, in the ongoing transformation of work and dying employment.
The Helm would like to thank Deborah for sharing her time with us. Find her on LinkedIn and visit her company Work3 Institute. You can preorder Employment is Dead: How Disruptive Technologies Will Revolutionize the Way We Work here.
