Passion may be your best defense against losing your job to AI, says Bill Gurley.
“The people most at risk are the people who are sitting around doing nothing at work and have no reason or purpose for it,” the legendary venture capitalist said on the latest episode of the podcast “On with Kara Swisher.”
“I think many of the people who go through the university conveyor belt, pursue secure jobs, and end up working as parts and cogs in an industry they may not like are ripe for destruction,” he added.
Advances in AI are causing many big-name companies to delay hiring or cut jobs in hopes of cheaper, more productive digital workers replacing human workers.
Tech giants like Meta, Microsoft, Amazon and Alphabet have also spent hundreds of billions of dollars building out AI infrastructure, raising concerns about future job losses.
Gurley is a general partner at Benchmark and is known for making early bets on businesses like Uber, Nextdoor, OpenTable, and Zillow.
He recently published a book titled “Runnin’ Down a Dream: How to Thrive in a Career You Real Love.”
The veteran investor said on the podcast that young people should choose careers they enjoy and are interested in. Warren Buffett, who famously “tap dances to work” at Berkshire Hathaway, has offered similar advice for years.
“If you’re in a job you love, polishing is free,” Gurley said. He explained that people who are passionate about what they do don’t need to set aside time or convince themselves to develop their skills and knowledge. They naturally prioritize improvers and feel energized by the process.
“If you’re always learning, you have an unfair advantage in almost any industry,” Gurley said.
One of the key things they need to learn is how to leverage AI to enhance their efforts, he said.
“Be the person who is most aware of AI in your work,” Gurley said. “And you’ll be the last person they want to get rid of.”
Gurley compared AI to “jet fuel” that can augment the capabilities of workers. He added that because employees can now learn faster and more thoroughly than ever before, focusing their learning on AI “will give them a better chance of winning.”
