Musk and Gates are wrong about AI replacing all jobs, says LinkedIn
The future shape of work as we know it hangs in the balance — at least that’s what many technology leaders say repeatedly. Elon Musk predicts that AI will replace all jobs in less than 20 years. Bill Gates says that not even those who train themselves to use AI tools can be safe from its clutches. And then there’s Klarna CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski, who is warning workers that “the tech guys” are sugarcoating the size of the impact that is about to hit jobs.
But, according to a LinkedIn executive, that’s simply not what the data shows.
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With hundreds of millions of workers looking for jobs and employers posting positions in real time, LinkedIn serves as one of the clearest barometers of what’s really happening — and its managing director for Europe, Middle East and Africa, Sue Duke, doesn’t buy the narrative of an AI-caused apocalypse.
“That’s not what we’re seeing,” Duke said at the Fortune CEO Forum at The Shard in London. When asked about a slowdown in hiring caused by AI, she insisted the opposite is true.
“What we’re seeing is that organizations that are adopting and integrating this technology are actually hiring more people to really take advantage of this technology,” explained Duke.
“They are going after more business development professionals, people with more technological familiarity and more salespeople, as they realize the business opportunities, the possibilities for innovation and, ultimately, the growth possibilities provided by this technology.”
For the millions of young Gen Z job seekers — who keep hearing that entry-level jobs will be gobbled up by AI and that a youth unemployment crisis is already underway — the news comes as a welcome surprise.
What employers want in 2026
For those who want to make the most of the change in the job market, Duke says there are two essential areas in which it is worth developing skills.
The first, unsurprisingly, is the area of AI skills. Whether it’s basic AI knowledge, using tools, writing prompts or more technical capabilities, “we continue to see these AI skills extremely valued in the job market,” he said.
With companies rushing to integrate automation into products and workflows, this demand isn’t slowing down anytime soon — no matter what industry you want to work in. “We see a huge demand for these skills across the economy, across all sectors, and many companies looking for them,” Duke added.
As AI takes over many administrative tasks, it puts the spotlight on functions that robots cannot perform. “These unique human skills,” Duke said, are the second area of focus for employers. “They remain firm, constant, at the center of hiring desires and requirements. And they will not disappear either.”
She highlighted communication, teamwork and the ability to solve problems as some of these human skills that will stand the test of time: “These are the ones worth investing in.”
And at the end of the day, the skill employers are targeting most isn’t technical — it’s adaptability. Bosses know that tools will change faster than jobs. What they want is someone who can change together.
“The most important thing for job seekers is to think about the mindset that you are also bringing with you,” says Duke.
“What employers are really looking for is that growth mindset and understanding that this technology is evolving really, really quickly — and that we need adaptability. Adaptability is at the top of the most in-demand skills, so making sure you’re bringing that mindset, bringing that agility with you is going to be incredibly important.”
