At the BEYOND Expo 2025, Zack Kass, a global AI advisor and former head of go‑to‑market at OpenAI, warned that the greatest challenge posed by artificial intelligence will be a crisis of purpose rather than a purely economic shock.
Automation will reshape, not erase, the labor market
Kass said the prospect of full automation across all industries is unlikely. “There are a tremendous number of jobs that are protected by compliance and regulations, and still many more that are nowhere near full automation,” he told the audience. He acknowledged that many roles will be partially automated soon, changing the nature of work without eliminating it entirely.
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He emphasized that AI can lower the cost of delivering services, which in turn boosts purchasing power. “When people feel relatively wealthier, new demand for goods and services emerges,” Kass noted, pointing to a pattern that repeats after each industrial transformation. The demand, he suggested, will shift toward bespoke or “luxury” offerings—much like the rise of specialty dining after the automation of basic food preparation.
Even as some occupations, such as professional chefs, remain largely immune to full automation, the broader effect may be an increase in consumption rather than a loss of jobs. “We don’t know yet how the labor market will play out,” he said.
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Advice for the next generation of AI professionals
Regarding career guidance, Kass stressed adaptability. He cautioned young entrants that technical skills alone will no longer be enough to stand out.
He recounted his own experience starting in AI when there were only about a thousand data scientists, noting that opportunities have multiplied dramatically since then. Yet he warned that the “idea of AI is going to change quite a bit,” and professionals must be ready to pivot between model development, application building, and infrastructure work.
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In summary, the conversation at BEYOND Expo highlighted that the most profound impact of AI may be cultural rather than purely economic. As automation expands, societies will need to address the emerging crisis of purpose, decide which human experiences remain off‑limits to machines, and guide the next wave of talent toward flexible, interdisciplinary roles.
