The piece opens in the Kansas City region, noting that the era of artificial-intelligence induced transformation in the workplace has already arrived. Local workforce leader Clyde McQueen, who arrived in the region decades ago unfamiliar with computers, says today’s workers “have to keep their skills up to compete” in a world where generative AI tools are reshaping daily tasks. The article emphasises that this is not some distant future—it is happening now, particularly in white-collar service and support roles.
A key section presents data on how many workers are exposed: over 40,000 in the Kansas City area work in the ten major occupations most vulnerable to AI-driven automation and augmentation. For example, there are about 23,750 customer service representatives in the region, and roughly 44% of their tasks could potentially be automated. The piece also mentions that among white-collar service jobs—financial advisers, PR specialists, web developers—about 35% of task-content may be subject to automation. These figures illustrate the scale of challenge, not just the niche nature of it.
Yet the article doesn’t paint only a picture of job loss—it also explores opportunity. It notes that new jobs are emerging in places like data-centre construction and maintenance and in AI-tool startups. One startup founder, Mychal Shaw, says that for historically under-represented groups, AI offers an accessible way to “catch up”, thanks to tools becoming cheaper and more widely available. The message is that for those willing to adapt and learn, AI could act as an equaliser rather than just a threat.
In conclusion, the article emphasises that the labour-market shift driven by AI is both structural and urgent. Workers are advised to move away from purely task-based roles—“if your day is all task work, you’re just doing AI’s job of tomorrow,” Mahy Bassett, a local AI entrepreneur, is quoted as saying. Instead, the new premium will be on skills like strategy, relationship building, creative judgment, and human-AI collaboration. The key takeaway: the future leans toward those willing to evolve their role, not just defend their current one.
