Eliminating white-collar jobs within five years? AI company's CEO offers five suggestions for professionals: must adapt to change

OthersideAI Co-Founder and CEO Matt Shumer uses the metaphor “on the eve of the 2020 pandemic outbreak” to describe how AI in 2026 is at an underestimated tipping point. He believes that AI’s capabilities have shifted from efficiency tools to autonomous systems capable of completing professional tasks independently, with impacts expected to spread across most white-collar workplaces within the next one to five years. He also shares how the public should prepare for this.

Standing on the brink of a major AI leap: an underestimated turning point

Titled “Something Big Is Happening,” Shumer reflects on the social atmosphere of February 2020: at that time, the pandemic was quietly spreading in some regions, but most people remained unaware until a few weeks later when outbreaks forced a change in daily life.

He points out that today’s AI development stage is similar; the public generally overestimates the impact, but insiders in the tech industry have already felt significant changes: “I know this is real because it’s already happening to me. My current work no longer requires me to handle technical details in person.”

He emphasizes that over the past two years, AI models have dramatically improved, especially in coding and handling complex tasks, now capable of independently performing work that previously required professionals. He describes this shift not as a linear improvement but as an exponential increase in capability and efficiency.

Tracing AI technology acceleration: a stress test for white-collar jobs

Shumer notes that recent AI research organizations have prioritized enhancing models’ coding abilities, since developing AI itself requires大量 code. Once AI can participate in its own optimization processes, it will create faster technological iteration cycles. He admits that some tech companies are considering restructuring their workforce because AI is gradually capable of handling a certain proportion of programming tasks.

He further predicts that this capability boost will extend beyond software engineering to fields such as law, financial analysis, accounting, consulting, medical diagnosis, content creation, and customer service—positions centered on knowledge and decision-making. He believes that within the next one to five years, entry-level white-collar jobs may be the first to face restructuring or reduction.

Tech workers have been experiencing the process of watching AI go from “a helpful assistant” to “performing better than me” over the past year, and this is precisely the experience other industries will soon face.

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“Trying AI but finding it not useful”—Shumer warns about the perception gap

Regarding doubts about AI’s performance still being inadequate or its functions limited, Shumer believes some of this perception stems from using early or free versions of tools. Over the past year, models have significantly improved in handling long tasks, reducing errors, and reasoning, but average users may not notice these differences.

He reveals that organizations like model evaluation and threat research groups (METR) are attempting to measure how long AI can independently complete human professional tasks, with this timeframe roughly halving every seven months. However, these trends may still be constrained by technical bottlenecks or regulatory slowdowns, and remain to be seen.

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How should the average person prepare for AI career threats?

Despite the strong warning tone of the article, Shumer emphasizes he is not trying to spread panic but to encourage early adaptation. He offers several suggestions for workers and society:

“Use AI seriously” and integrate it into workflows and daily life

First, don’t just use AI as a search engine or chat tool; subscribe to paid versions and use the most powerful models. Also, proactively research which models best suit your tasks, apply AI to your most time-consuming tasks, and try to complete entire projects through prompt optimization.

Develop “adaptability” and “financial awareness” skills

Next, cultivate the habit of quickly learning new tools, avoid sticking rigidly to existing workflows, and continuously test new applications. Also, improve savings and cash flow flexibility to give yourself time and space to transition.

Reflect on your own strengths and which skills are harder to replace

He cites examples such as long-term relationship building and trust, jobs requiring physical presence, roles with legal responsibility and professional sign-off obligations, or industries with strict regulation and slow policy changes. But he admits these are not permanent moats—only buying time to adapt to the new era.

Reconsider advice for the next generation

He believes the traditional life script of “good grades → prestigious university → stable job” is outdated. He encourages the next generation to learn to collaborate with AI, cultivate curiosity, and develop adaptability to survive: “They must become creators and learners.”

View AI as an opportunity rather than a threat, and embrace your dreams

Finally, he urges pursuing what you love, because AI continues to lower the barriers and costs of entrepreneurship: “If you’ve ever wanted to build something but lacked technical skills or money, those obstacles are now basically gone.”

Use AI to build side businesses or products, develop applications, or learn new skills—treat AI as a 24/7 available learning and creation assistant.

With global capital and tech giants continuously investing in AI, the coming years will undoubtedly be a critical transition period for how technology reshapes the labor market. Whether through daily life redefinition or gradual evolution, the pace of change will only accelerate. Everyone working or needing to work must consider how to establish their footing amid the AI wave.

This article, “Will white-collar jobs be eliminated within five years? Five recommendations from AI company CEOs for workers to adapt to change,” first appeared on ABMedia.