Last weekend I was at a social gathering that found its way to the question of whether machines will replace all of us. This morning I taught at Reichman University, and the students asked what is the point of studying marketing if robots are going to replace everyone anyway. I gave the same answer in both cases, and I stand by it.
Enough. The machines will not replace all of us. They are changing the market — that is what happens when new technology arrives. I was 25 when social media exploded in Israel. We founded Days Marketing and were among the first to catch it. Yes, ad agencies hated social agencies at first. Yes, some were wiped out. But in practice the advertising industry only grew. The same happened to the music industry — streaming destroyed physical album sales, yet more people consume music than ever. Ask how many people are farmers today versus 150 years ago.
Technology changes reality. It sets new rules. What is happening now is that the rules have changed.
If you know how to ask questions, understand problems, and quickly grasp where new technology is taking things — you will find great success. There is a set of human capabilities needed to guide AI: deep thinking, problem solving, conversation, observing reality, planning, overseeing, understanding meaning. These are all part of the new capability basket required today.
So yes, some professions will disappear, but new ones will appear. Adapt or change careers to something you can handle.
This month I built three different agentic products: publishing, project management, animation production. AI gave me the ability to maximize my own capabilities. Where do I take it from here? That is where the human comes in.
So no, AI will not replace us. The machines are not coming to dispossess us. They will demand that we adapt. That is exactly what I am doing, and I invite you to do the same.