This week brought mixed messages about how AI will affect workers around the world. A major report from US Senator Bernie Sanders warned that nearly 100 million American jobs could disappear over the next ten years because of AI. The report said jobs like fast food workers and customer service workers face the biggest risks, with some jobs being 89% likely to be automated.

However, another study released this week told a very different story. The Society for Human Resource Management surveyed 20,000 US workers and found that while AI is automating many tasks, only about 6% of jobs face real risk of disappearing. The study explained that even when AI can do half the tasks in a job, many positions are still safe because of other factors that protect them.

Workers themselves are feeling worried and confused. A new study of frontline workers (people who must be present to do their jobs) found that 65% believe their biggest threat comes from other employees who know how to use AI, not from AI itself. One in three frontline workers fear AI might replace their job completely. Interestingly, workers who actually use AI in their jobs report feeling less burned out than those who don't use it.

Real companies are already making changes. The CEO of Klarna, a payment company, warned this week that other tech leaders are not being honest about AI's impact on jobs. Klarna has cut its workforce in half using AI tools. Meanwhile, major accounting firms have reduced their hiring of new graduates by 6% to 29% in just one year because AI can now do much of the basic work that entry-level employees used to perform.

The message for workers is clear: learning AI skills has become extremely important. Nearly half of frontline workers said their fear of AI has pushed them to learn new skills or take on extra projects to prove their value. The job market is changing rapidly, and workers who adapt will have the best chances of success.