AI revolution, new jobs on the horizon

Welcome to "AI Revolution," the podcast exploring how artificial intelligence is changing our world in real-time. I’m Alex.

And I’m Ben. Today, we’re digging into a topic that’s... well, it's on everyone’s mind:

Hmm.

AI and the job market. Alex, the headlines are everywhere—robots are coming for our jobs. But... the real story seems to be a lot more nuanced.

It really is. I mean, while the fear of job displacement is real,

Yeah.

There’s this fascinating flip side to the coin that a recent Washington Post article dives into. AI isn't just a job destroyer;

Right.

It's a job *creator*. But, you know, these aren't your typical jobs.

No, not at all. We’re talking about titles that sound like they were pulled from a sci-fi movie. Have you ever heard of a 'knowledge architect'?

Wow.

Or an 'AI Orchestration Engineer'?

Or my personal favorite, a 'Human-AI Collaboration Lead.' It sounds so abstract.

Yeah?

But companies like Salesforce, Walmart, and KPMG are hiring for these roles *right now*. This isn't some... distant future;

Hmm.

It’s the new reality of the 2025 job market.

You know, it reminds me of the early days of the internet. If you told someone in 1995 that 'Social Media Manager' would be a legitimate career,

Right.

They would have looked at you sideways. Research from LinkedIn shows that... what is it... about 20% of today’s professional jobs didn't even exist in the year 2000.

Wow.

And AI is just hitting the accelerator on that trend.

Exactly. Okay, so let's break down some of these new roles.

Okay.

because they tell a powerful story about where work is headed. The article groups them into a few areas. First up: User Experience.

Ah.

This is all about making AI usable and... and even enjoyable for humans.

So this is where a role like 'AI Conversation Designer' comes in, right? What do they... what do they actually do?

So, think of them as a blend of a psychologist and a creative writer for AI. They design the flow, the language, and even the personality of an AI assistant...

Hmm.

to make it engaging and genuinely helpful. They're the ones making sure the chatbot you're talking to doesn't sound like a soulless machine.

So it’s about crafting the *feel* of the interaction. That makes sense. And what about that 'Knowledge Architect' title? It sounds very... grand.

It’s a crucial role. A knowledge architect is an expert responsible for shaping *what* an AI agent knows.

Okay.

They structure all the information and the context the AI needs to perform its tasks accurately and reliably. In essence,

Right.

They're the librarians and the... the curriculum designers for an AI's brain, making sure it reflects the business's actual knowledge.

So one person designs the AI’s personality, and the other designs its intelligence. That’s a fascinating division of labor. What about the roles that manage how we,

Mmm.

You know, the workers adapt to all this?

That brings us to the business operations side, and that 'Human-AI Collaboration Lead.' This role isn’t technical in the coding sense.

Okay.

It's strategic. This person defines how human teams and AI systems can best work together to hit business goals.

Right.

It's about change management, organizational design... and building trust.

That role feels so vital. It’s the human bridge. You can't just airdrop powerful AI tools into a company and expect everything to work.

Exactly.

You need someone to shepherd that integration, to make sure it empowers people instead of frustrating them. It shows that so-called 'soft skills' are becoming mission-critical.

Absolutely. And then you have the deeply technical roles. Let's talk about the 'Orchestration Engineer.' Ben,

Okay.

What does that sound like to you?

It sounds like a conductor of a symphony.

That's the perfect analogy. A business might use dozens of different specialized AI agents—one for data analysis, one for customer service, and one for content. The orchestration engineer is the conductor who makes sure all these different AI instruments play together in harmony.

Wow.

They connect everything, set the rules, and make sure the whole system is reliable and safe.

So, when you look at all these roles together—the Conversation Designer, the Collaboration Lead, the Orchestration Engineer—

Yeah.

A clear picture emerges. The future of work isn't a battle of humans *versus* AI.

No.

It’s about creating a new class of jobs centered on managing, guiding, and collaborating *with* AI.

It's a fundamental shift. We're moving from just *using* tools to actively *partnering* with them. The skills in demand are a blend of technical fluency, strategic thinking, and a deep understanding of human behavior.

Hmm.

The human element is becoming the premium.

This reframes the entire conversation from one of fear to one of opportunity and adaptation. It’s not about if you’ll be replaced,

Right.

but how your role will evolve and what new skills you might learn to thrive in this new landscape.

And it’s happening faster than any of us expected. The jobs of tomorrow are already on the hiring boards of today.

Now, here’s a question we'd like you to think about: If you could invent a new job for yourself that involves collaborating with AI, what would the title be, and what would be the single most important task you'd do?