You’ve probably heard people say, “AI is going to take all our jobs.” Well… yes and no. It really depends on what kind of work you do.

If your job is manual, repetitive, or predictable, it might be time to consider a career change. AI is already making inroads in administration, secretarial work, logistics, and service centres. Even in more complex roles, if your results are just “okay,” AI can probably do the same thing faster and cheaper.

✅ The magic word that protects your job? Expertise. If you know your field inside out, your job is probably safe – for now. Unless AI suddenly makes a giant leap, or leadership doesn’t understand AI limitations (there are plenty of examples of what happens in those cases, see further reading at the end of the article).

🔹 Why Experts Will Stay Relevant for the Next 5-10 Years

Expertise isn’t something you pick up overnight. It’s built from years of hands-on experience, tweaking processes, and learning the little nuances. Some people call it a “craft.”

There is a misconception that AI knows everything that is online. Nope. For example…

• ChatGPT leans heavily on Wikipedia
• Gemini pulls mostly from YouTube

No AI model covers all knowledge, and most specialist know-how is never published online. The “intuitive stuff” that experts develop? That’s never fully publicly shared.

Even when experts teach others, around 40–60% of the expertise students develop comes from their own personal experience.

AI can’t interact with people like a human expert or feel what works best in complex situations. Right now, AI cannot gain expertise or replicate the craft knowledge that comes from experience.

⚖️ So, What Does This Mean?

For Employers:

• Do you want low-quality or mediocre outputs or services or wish to compete with high-quality results using human expertise?

For Employees:

• Do you want to stick with low-skilled work until AI replaces you?
• Or become an expert in your field and stay irreplaceable?

💼 Case Study: Learning & Development

Here’s a peek from my own world (but this applies anywhere):

Some CEOs and recruiters think L&D is simple:

Grab content from the internet or ask senior managers → plug it into software → add a few pictures → call it a course

Sure, it’s simplified, but that’s basically how many companies treat learning programs.

A true L&D professional? They dig deep. They research. They weigh options. They use their experience and people skills. They design strategies that actually work.

For example, here’s a small snapshot of what goes into designing learning programs:

🧭 Learning Formats / Modalities

Where and how learning happens:

🟩 Online learning – E-learning platforms or virtual classrooms

🟩 Classroom learning – Traditional in-person sessions

🟩 Digital learning – Enhanced by digital tools

🟩 Face-to-face – Direct interaction

🟩 Blended – Online + in-person

🟩 Virtual – Self-paced or instructor-led

🟩 Immersive – VR, AR, simulations

🎓 Learning Formality / Structure

How structured or self-directed learning is:

🟧 Formal – Structured, objective-led education

🟧 Informal – Self-directed through experience

🟧 Workflow – Learning embedded into daily tasks

💡 Learning Approaches / Philosophies

How people learn best:

🟦 Peer-to-peer – Learn from each other

🟦 Social – Collaboration & observation

🟦 Socratic – Guided questioning

🟦 Show-Tell-Experience – Watch → Listen → Practice

🟦 Collaborative – Solve problems together

🟦 Experiential – Learn by doing & reflecting

🟦 Project-based – Real-world projects

🟦 Activity-based – Hands-on exercises

🎮 Learning Design Techniques

How content engages learners:

🟩 Gamification – Points, levels, rewards

🟩 Bite-size – Short segments

🟩 Micro-learning – Units under 10 minutes

🟩 Nano-learning – Ultra-short 1–3 minute bursts

⚙️ Learning Purpose / Outcome

What the learning actually achieves:

🟧 Delivering information – Transfer knowledge

🟧 Instructional – Systematic teaching

🟧 Behaviour-changing – Shift habits/attitudes

🟧 70:20:10 model – 70% experience, 20% from others, 10% formal

🟧 Masterclass – Expert-led, in-depth sessions

All of these approaches have different uses and different outcomes. Selecting the right choices requires honest engagement with all stakeholders, as well as prior experience, knowledge, and skills in the L&D field.

✅ Final Takeaways

For CEOs and recruiters: Hire talent, experience and expertise. Keep the people who deliver results. Implement AI as a tool, not workforce replacement.

For employees: Become an expert. Master your craft. Be the best you can be.