Turn on the news, scroll through your feed, or attend any industry panel lately, and you’ll hear it: Artificial Intelligence is coming for your job. The headlines are stark. The predictions feel ominous. Some of the most intelligent people in the world are forecasting a future where human work is obsolete, replaced by machines, automation, and AI.
I don’t doubt the disruption. I just see it differently.
Throughout my career, I’ve been through multiple technological revolutions—from naval engineering to predictive AI—and in each era, I’ve watched the same cycle play out: the fear, the upheaval, and then—if you’re paying attention—the emergence of entirely new roles, new industries, and new frontiers for those willing to evolve.
Table of ContentsMy First Job Was Already ObsoleteFrom Industrial Electrician to Data-Driven AnalystFollowing Data into the Marketing WorldFrom Consulting to AI-First InnovationThis Is the Pattern—Not the ExceptionStop Fearing Replacement—Start Embracing Reinvention
My First Job Was Already Obsolete
I started my career in the U.S. Navy. My first ship still had a bake oven onboard—not for food, but for rewinding electric motors. The oven hadn’t been used in decades. The reason? The Navy had long figured out that there wasn’t enough demand to justify having Electrician’s Mates rewinding motors on every vessel. Instead, they built a global network of tenders and port repair facilities. If a critical motor failed, there were stocked spares ready to be flown in, shipped in, or swapped when we reached port.
At the same time, traditional mechanical systems were being replaced by advanced electronic control panels. That meant fewer electricians and more control system technicians. My job didn’t disappear—it transformed. I had to learn new skills in electronics, control systems, diagnostics, and installations.
From Industrial Electrician to Data-Driven Analyst
After leaving the Navy, I joined a newspaper as an industrial electrician. Because of my electronics background, I quickly found myself troubleshooting and repairing the paper’s growing array of computer-based control systems. Soon, I wasn’t just turning a wrench—I was learning to network PCs, configure line-of-sight communication systems, and support our transition to high-speed fiber networks.
That led me to an analyst role. My computer knowledge and insatiable curiosity helped me build databases, design preventative maintenance systems, and create long-term capital forecasting tools. I developed intranet portals to automate processes and report data directly to the executive board. None of those responsibilities were in my original job description. None of them even existed when I started.
Following Data into the Marketing World
My appreciation for data collection and analysis led me to a career in database marketing. I moved to Denver to work for a company serving the newspaper industry with highly targeted direct mail solutions. I managed massive data pipelines, working with ETL and GIS systems that extracted, transformed, and delivered insights at scale. Once again, the work I was doing was built on innovation, and that innovation was creating jobs, not eliminating them.
When the newspaper industry failed to embrace digital trends, I was one of the voices raising alarms. Eventually, I was pushed out. But I wasn’t bitter (for long). I pivoted. I joined an email marketing company where I helped global clients automate their outreach and integrate data across systems. That experience led me to launch my agency, where I’ve spent decades helping hundreds of companies navigate digital transformation (DX).
From Consulting to AI-First Innovation
Running an agency taught me a great deal, but it also took a toll on me. The challenges of client churn, delayed payments, and bad actors in the industry took a toll. At the same time, I saw something new on the horizon: AI. It wasn’t just hype—it was an inflection point.
I joined an AI startup focused on predictive retail. I wasn’t just implementing tools—I was helping to shape the product roadmap. It was the most intellectually rewarding year of my career, and the technology we delivered is actively transforming the retailers who use it.
Now, I’m at another startup, focused on scaling and automating managed services using Agentic AI. My work spans internal development, staff training, and integrating AI, HAI, and agentic systems into our solutions and services.
Every step forward in my career has been tied to technologies that didn’t exist a decade earlier.
This Is the Pattern—Not the Exception
There’s a recurring theme here: I never lost a job to technology. I gained a future. I reinvented myself—again and again—not because I was forced to, but because I was willing to.
That’s why I view today’s fears around AI differently. Are jobs going to change? Absolutely. Are some going to disappear? Of course. But this isn’t new. It’s been happening since the Industrial Revolution. Every major leap—electricity, automation, the internet, mobile—has wiped out roles and simultaneously unleashed entire ecosystems of opportunity.
I hear people say this time is different because AGI may surpass human intelligence. Maybe it will. But if humanity has proven anything, it’s that we’re resourceful. Every time we’re pushed by innovation, we push back harder with creativity, reinvention, and progress.
Stop Fearing Replacement—Start Embracing Reinvention
When I was an electrician in the Navy, I couldn’t have imagined holding a device in my hand that could connect me to anyone on the planet, let alone one that could listen, speak, and think. I couldn’t picture ordering groceries by voice, having them arrive the next day, or watching AI write code or content in seconds.
But here we are.
AI won’t destroy work—it will redefine it. The question is not Whether AI will replace your job. The question is, will you grow with the next opportunity it creates?
It’s already here. Don’t miss it.
©2025 DK New Media, LLC, All rights reserved | DisclosureOriginally Published on Martech Zone: I Never Lost A Job to Technology. I Have Gained Multiple Careers, Though.