The Jobs That Never Existed

As a society, we’re living through a moment of hyper uncertainty. The sheer volume of information and opinions on essential topics like artificial intelligence can leave even the most informed reader wondering if they truly understand what’s happening—and, more importantly, what might be just around the corner. That’s why taking time to carefully reflect on the high-impact scenarios that could emerge in the near future is essential to navigate what comes next.

While it’s impossible to cover everything in a short article, twice a month I try to offer perspective on different mental models, trends, and developments, aiming to gradually reduce uncertainty for Fast Company’s exceptional readers. One topic I’ve touched on before—but that’s getting hotter by the day—is the impact AI could have on jobs.

Until recently, headlines focused on how AI wasn’t delivering visible results for company profits. If you read my recent article on AI strategy, you probably noticed that, in many cases, the issue isn’t the technology itself but the lack of a clear plan. Meanwhile, rumors of an AI bubble ready to burst have continued to grow. That could be true when it comes to company valuations, but it would have little impact on the real-world adoption and deployment of AI in corporate environments. Remember: the internet was supposed to disappear after the DotCom crash in 2000. And as far as I know, this article didn’t reach you by carrier pigeon.

Companies like Amazon, UPS, Meta, Salesforce, and others have already acknowledged that AI is influencing—and will continue to influence—their hiring (and firing) decisions. By late October, roughly 50,000 jobs had been eliminated directly due to advances in AI. Layoffs are easy to spot when big corporations announce them. But there’s another, quieter phenomenon unfolding that’s harder to see unless you’re inside the AI ecosystem: the jobs that were never created because AI is already doing them.

It’s not that you were fired… it’s that you were never hired.

Across the world, especially in tech hubs, companies are asking their teams to prove that AI cannot perform certain tasks or responsibilities before approving a new hire. This partly explains the shortage of entry-level positions for recent graduates. As AI models keep improving day by day, their ability to take over more tasks, jobs, and sectors is already demanding proactive attention from an ever-growing number of people.

You might be reading this and shaking your head, thinking, “Wait—you mean AI isn’t just taking our jobs, it’s creating new ones for itself?” So what about our slice of the economic cake, topped with opportunity frosting and a few sprinkles of rapid career growth? If AI is taking jobs we don’t even have time to lose, maybe it’s time to ask ourselves: what can we do to open new paths and create more opportunities for us?

Fortunately, I’ll be sharing some ideas in upcoming articles about how to build a solid career that’s well-adapted to the changes we’ll all have to navigate soon. But since the holiday season is around the corner, here’s a little preview.

New requirement: show what makes you unique

First, you don’t need to learn to code or become a data scientist, which is probably a relief, but also because those fields are already AI’s home turf. Second, you still have time to act. You’re reading this and you already know not only which jobs are disappearing, but—more importantly—which ones will never exist. Third, take a moment to talk with a few colleagues and answer these three questions:

What’s your superpower at work—the one your colleagues believe no AI could ever match? (And while you’re at it, help them find theirs. Be kind; the holidays are coming.)
How might AI affect that area of your work, and how could you collaborate with it to make your superpower truly world-class?
If you or your colleagues feel you don’t have a superpower yet, that’s fine. Many people don’t. This is your chance to start uncovering it. Then go back to steps one and two.

The only constant in nature is change, and we’re living in a time when the pace of that change is becoming increasingly exponential. The good news is it applies to everyone—and you already know how to start preparing proactively for what’s ahead. If you’re already feeling the holiday spirit, share this with someone who also wants to get ready for what’s coming. After all, we’re on this journey together.

Originally published in Spanish for Fast Company Mexico:
https://fastcompany.mx/2025/11/10/empleos-que-nunca-existieron/