Our Moment of Reckoning: AI Should Generate Jobs, Not Replace Them

Almost every day, another headline shows companies restructuring because AI has automated parts of their workflow. Microsoft cut nearly 2,000 roles tied to AI-driven efficiencies. Amazon eliminated hundreds across its Alexa and retail teams after shifting toward generative AI. Early-career employees feel this most. These were the roles where people learned the basics of an industry – cold calling, basic coding, first-pass analysis. Today, many of those tasks can be done by a model on day one.

And yet, even as some work disappears, the knowledge economy as a whole is growing. The World Economic Forum estimates 69 million new knowledge-based roles will be created by 2027. McKinsey projects a 26% rise in demand for jobs requiring strong communication, collaboration, and social skills. Harvard’s David Deming found that roles blending social and cognitive abilities have grown far faster than those relying on either alone.

These roles won’t reward memorization or perfect recall. We’re moving into a world where information is always at your fingertips. Walk into a dealership a few years from now and the salesperson will already know your preferences, your buying patterns, even your likely objections. Knowledge itself becomes a commodity – an infrastructure layer everyone has access to.

There’s a common refrain that when AI takes over jobs, society will thrive because we’ll all live on passive income or pursue passion projects. I’m not so sure. Work is about more than money – it’s purpose, identity, and contribution. It’s how people build meaning in their lives.

That’s why I believe communication is becoming the most important skill of the next decade. The ability to build trust quickly. To show authenticity in a world filled with synthetic content. To guide someone through a decision with clarity and empathy. As AI handles more of the “what,” our value lies increasingly in the “how.”

At Yoodli, this belief shapes our mission. We exist to help people keep and grow their jobs—to help sellers deliver stronger pitches and get promoted, help early-career SDRs ramp faster, help professionals show up confidently when interviewing for their next role. And just as importantly, we help organizations develop confident, effective employees who can thrive as technology changes. AI shouldn’t push people out of the economy. It should pull them up.

And we’re looking for partners who want to bet on that future—partners who believe human potential is worth investing in, not replacing. The more AI reshapes work, the more important it becomes to build tools that elevate the people at the center of it. If you want to help create that future, let’s talk.

Varun Puri, Co-founder and CEO