What the [Blank?] Just Happened?

The historical backstory: AI-exposed occupations grew 38% from 2019 to 2024, but the impact is uneven.

High-exposure, high-paying roles saw a 3.5% employment drop over five years, meaning the people who thought they were safe aren’t.

McKinsey now estimates AI could automate 45% of high-wage activities by 2030, up from 30% pre-2023. This mirrors the early 2010s industrial automation wave but at a faster clip and aimed squarely at white-collar work.

The companies winning right now aren’t replacing people wholesale, they’re building hybrid models where fewer people do more.

That’s the actual story to know. And it’s been building since the mid-2010s when basic AI tools first started reshaping operations.

Hope this helps.

- j -