Workers Not Threatened by Artificial Intelligence

Summary

WSJ Your Money Briefing

Episode: “Workers Not Threatened by Artificial Intelligence”

Date: June 24, 2019
Host: J.R. Whelan, The Wall Street Journal
Guest: Paul McDonald, Senior Executive Director, Robert Half

---

Episode Overview

This episode explores how workers and managers perceive the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) and automation in the workplace. Contrary to narratives of job displacement and fear, a new Robert Half survey finds that most American workers aren’t threatened by these changes. Instead, many anticipate positive outcomes such as increased productivity, opportunities for skill development, and more “human-centric” job roles. The conversation with Paul McDonald provides insight into the findings from both employee and manager perspectives, discussing adaptation, necessary upskilling, and advice for employees amidst technological transformation.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Survey Findings: Workers’ Perception of AI

• Main Insight: About half of workers surveyed believe AI and automation will have no negative effect on their jobs, while 40% expect a positive impact.
• Productivity and Skills: Workers anticipate AI will make them more productive and provide opportunities to develop new skills.
• Quote:

  “About half the people said there’d be no impact on their jobs. And about 40% actually came back and said there’d be a positive impact…increased productivity, the ability to develop new skills…and get their work done more efficiently.”
  — Paul McDonald [02:43-03:17]

2. Managers’ Outlook: More Human-Centric Work

• Shift in Job Focus: Managers expect automation to handle routine tasks, freeing employees for analysis, strategy, and interpretation.
• Soft Skills in Demand: With routine work automated, demand grows for communication, critical thinking, and other soft skills.
• Quote:

  “They felt as though the mundane tasks…would be done by the computer, allowing the worker to step up into more analysis, more strategy…So there’s a key finding here that the employers feel as though the computer’s gonna do more work, allowing the individual worker to step up and use their brain a little more.”
  — Paul McDonald [03:39-04:36]

3. Training and Upskilling for the AI Era

• Mixed Outlook: Managers believe new technology will require upskilling and potentially new hiring due to a steep learning curve.
• Learning & Hiring: Firms intend to train existing employees before bringing in new hires to meet changing skill needs.
• Quote:

  “They’re going to look to upskill their current workforce first, but then have to augment with new hiring… Way they’re going to solve this problem of technology’s impact on the workplace.”
  — Paul McDonald [04:48-05:26]

4. Advice for Employees: Curiosity and Participation

• Be Proactive: Employees are advised to stay curious, ask about company plans for technology adoption, and seek out training and collaboration opportunities.
• Embrace Change: Rather than waiting defensively, workers should get involved in transformation processes.
• Quote:

  “You need to be curious. You need to be thinking, what is the impact of AI and technology on my position, on my job, on my company?...Be curious. Ask what I need to learn, what aspects of the job are going to be impacted, how can I upskill myself in the meantime?”
  — Paul McDonald [05:37-06:33]

---

Memorable Moments & Quotes

• “Managers…felt that AI will actually make jobs more human centric and not less.”
  — J.R. Whelan [03:32-03:39]
• “Technology is here to stay. If I’m an employee and I’m in a defensive posture right now…be curious.”
  — Paul McDonald [05:37-06:00]

---

Important Timestamps

• 02:14 – Introduction to the Robert Half poll and guest Paul McDonald.
• 02:43 – Worker optimism: majority see no threat from AI; some expect improvements.
• 03:39 – Managers see increased importance of soft skills and a shift to human-centric roles.
• 04:48 – Upskilling and new learning initiatives detailed.
• 05:37 – Advice for employees: curiosity, self-assessment, and active engagement with company changes.

---

Tone and Style

The conversation is pragmatic and optimistic, with both host and guest emphasizing practical steps for employees and managers alike. Rather than focusing on fear or disruption, the tone encourages adaptation, learning, and proactive engagement.

---

Summary prepared for listeners seeking key insights and actionable career advice on navigating AI and automation in the modern workplace.

Transcript

[Advertisement Voice]

Deal replaces fragmented payroll vendors with one global system. No third parties hire, manage and pay teams in 150 countries operate like a local everywhere. Visit deel.com WSJ.

[Charlie Turner]

With your money briefing. I'm Charlie Turner in New York for the Wall Street Journal. A new poll finds many workers don't feel threatened by artificial intelligence or how it might impact their job. J.R. whelan will talk with Robert Haft's Paul McDonald in a moment. First, here are some money headlines. Stocks are headed for one of their best months in decades, but the Wall Street Journal says shares of some brokerages and exchange operators, where investors can trade stocks themselves, are underperforming the major averages. The S&P 500 has been up around 7% in June, while the Nasdaq Composite has risen about 8%. Exchange operators CME Group and Intercontinental Exchange have both registered smaller gains, while C Global Markets stock has fallen about 1%. Among brokerages, shares of both Charles Schwab and TD Ameritrade have fallen slightly in June. A big reason is the lack of volatility that may be good for your retirement account. But lower volatility in a rising market can turn investors away from shares of brokerages and exchanges, which usually profit from bigger market swings. Last week, Federal Reserve policymakers kept short term interest rates steady but indicated that they might lower them soon. However, two top Fed officials said rates should have been lowered. St. Louis Fed Bank President James Bullard cast the lone dissenting vote at the meeting, while non voting member Neel Kashkari, the head of the Minneapolis Fed, also came out for a rate cut. They both wanted the Federal Open Market Committee to lower short term rates to help address persistently weak inflation pressures and rising economic risks such as the Trump administration's global trade battles. Coming up, half of workers in a new survey say they don't think AI or automation will have a negative effect on their jobs.

[J.R. Whelan]

All the talk of artificial intelligence and automation might lead some to believe that the robots are in fact taking over. But a new poll indicates that Americans are pretty optimistic about their role in the workforce alongside automation. Robert Haff conducted the poll and Senior executive director Paul McDonald is on the line with us with some details. So Paul, about half the people polled think that new technology and automation will have a positive impact on their job.

[Paul McDonald]

Yeah, it was quite interesting, JR when we did this poll, we thought that the fear factor that robots or said differently, AI or artificial intelligence is creating a lot of anxiety in the workforce. We've heard this in anecdotally for a while so we embarked upon this trying to ferret out what is the impact on jobs, what is the impact on the workers of AI or robots, if you will. The results came back and about half the people said there'd be no impact on their jobs. And about 40% actually came back and said there'd be a positive impact by things of increased productivity, the ability to develop new skills that they didn't have before and to get their, you know, overall just get their work done more efficiently.

[J.R. Whelan]

What I found interesting is that managers who were surveyed felt that AI will actually make jobs more human centric and not less.

[Paul McDonald]

Yeah, it was a real key finding. Again, we did the worker survey of office workers. That was 2,800 workers. We did managers in the United states, that was 1200 managers. On the manager side or employer side of the equation. They felt as though the mundane tasks, such as data entry, account reconciliations, to name two, would be done by the computer, allowing the worker to step up into more analysis, more strategy, more forecasting, focused, interpreting the results. Now that dovetails back into the need and the demand for more soft skills today. People that can communicate, people that have critical thinking skills. So the two go hand in hand. So there's a key finding here that the employers feel as though the computer's gonna do more work, allowing the individual worker to step up and use their brain a little more.

[J.R. Whelan]

There's also kind of a mixed response as well with AI and new technology. Managers feel as if there'll be new rounds of training needed, but they also feel there might be a steep learning curve involved.

[Paul McDonald]

Yes. So here's, here's what's needed. If you're a manager, if you're an employer, you need to look at the survey results that we found. And it was like, not only are the workers going to be more productive in their work, they're also going to require some upskilling, some new skills. And they found, the managers that we surveyed found that they're going to look to upskill their current workforce first, but then have to augment with new hiring. So those two were key findings. Way they're going to solve this problem of technology's impact on the workplace.

[J.R. Whelan]

It seems like every innovation over the past several decades or even the last century has produced varying degrees of uneasiness among employees, that there's some new level of technology that might take over.

[Paul McDonald]

I think technology is here to stay. If I'm an employee and I'm in a defensive posture right now and say, let's just wait and see as an employee. You need to be curious. You need to be thinking, what is the impact of AI and technology on my position, on my job, on my company? Ask your managers what are the plans for the company to move forward with business transformation? Because all businesses are being impacted by this and there are plans. Don't assume that there is no plans of all size businesses and then participate in it. Be curious. Ask what I need to learn, what aspects of the job are going to be impacted, how can I upskill myself in the meantime? And how can I participate and collaborate potentially on a project or two that are going to be helpful in this business transformation?

[J.R. Whelan]

All right, that's really good advice from Robert Haft, Senior executive director Paul McDonald. Paul, thanks for coming on the show.

[Paul McDonald]

Thank you, J.R. it's a pleasure.

[J.R. Whelan]

And that's your money briefing. I'm J.R. whalen in New York for

[Advertisement Voice]

the Wall Street Journal deal replaces fragmented Payroll vendors with one global system. No third parties. Hire, manage and pay teams in 150 plus countries. Operate like a local everywhere. Visit d e e l.com WSJ.