The Skills That Will Still Matter When AI Does Everything Else

Is AI actually coming for your job? Jon and Salman dig into the data.

150,000 tech jobs have been cut in tech this year alone, and AI is being cited as the number one reason. But is that the full story?

The bigger question is what skills actually matter now. Jon shares a framework for thinking about where humans still win — and why critical thinking, problem definition and verification are going to matter far more than knowing how to prompt.

Chapters:

• 00:00 — Is AI actually coming for your job?
• 01:26 — The headline numbers: 150,000 tech jobs cut
• 02:48 — Employment for young people down 20%
• 04:27 — Jon's counterpoint: was this just COVID overhiring?
• 09:14 — 40 paralegals replaced by 4 AI agents
• 13:56 — Stanford's finding: experienced workers show almost no impact
• 18:37 — PwC: AI skills premium jumped to 62% in 2026
• 20:03 — AI skills are becoming the new Microsoft Office
• 26:59 — The soft skills that will actually matter
• 29:07 — Jon's framework: definition and verification is where humans win
• 32:18 — Don't specialise in AI. Specialise in the judgment behind it.
• 34:17 — If all else fails, become an influencer