You may not be able to outrun AI, but you can work alongside it.
As AI transforms many jobs, EY's Joe Depa says adaptability will become “the new job security” by 2026.
“The ability to adapt and change is going to be the most important factor,” said Depa, who oversees innovation at a Big Four consulting firm.
The executive who leads EY's AI, data and innovation strategy told Business Insider that training and upskilling will be a differentiator for workforces and organizations.
He shared three ways to stay current amid rapid change.
Part 1: Educate yourself
Whether pursuing formal education or studying independently, continuous learning is key to staying up to date with the latest information, Depa said.
Depa said he went back to school to get a master's degree in analytics from Georgia Tech just a few years ago to learn more about software development, programming and data science. He said he knew he would be managing data scientists and programmers and wanted to better understand their perspectives. But since completing his degree in 2020, software development has “completely changed.”
“You have to constantly learn and challenge yourself to learn every day,” Depa said.
To stay informed about topics like AI, he said he listens to podcasts and reads articles about the latest news.
Depa isn't the only leader who regularly takes time to learn new things. Visa's Oliver Jenkin recently told Business Insider that he sets aside four hours a week to study topics he wants to understand, such as stablecoin technology or the history of the semiconductor industry.
Part 2: Learn from others
In addition to allocating time as follows, Mr. Depa said: In personal learning, relying on a personal mentor is “important.''
“We should all have our own personal advisors, mentors we can call around us,” Depa said.
The executive pointed to EY's Global AI Advisory Board. The advisory board includes 20 top AI leaders who will help steer the company's AI efforts. Depa said the council has been meeting and providing feedback on the various plans.
“For me, it's a very good forum to test what's going to happen next,” Depa said.
The global chief innovation officer said holding opinion councils can help challenge your ideas, but seeking input from others doesn't have to be so formal. Having relationships with people you can reach out to to get different perspectives is “increasingly important,” he says.
Part 3: Apply what you learn
Depa said education and learning from others is important, but the teachings need to be put into practice. That might mean vibe coding or creating an app.
“That whole learning experience really helps create new brain dynamics for learning the next thing and the next thing,” Depa said.
Depa said failure is inevitable when trying out tools and implementing new ideas. Getting used to that discomfort helps build a mindset focused on challenging yourself and learning more, he added.
“With enough repetition, your brain starts to understand the process of formal learning, having a team of advisors, and applying that to learn and grow,” Depa said.
Blackstone CTO John Stecher also emphasized the importance of getting hands-on with technology in a recent interview with Business Insider. Stecher said he doesn't always create something “great,” but he does set aside an hour or two every weekend to experiment, whether it's using Claude to write code to automate his home or creating a new tool to parse documents.
“It's tactile and tangible,” Stescher said.
