The AI Earthquake Has Hit: Are You on Solid Ground? Raising the Barr Weekly Memo: Issue 645

There are moments in history when the ground beneath us shifts—and those who aren’t paying attention get swallowed by the cracks. We are living through one such moment right now. 

AI is not coming. It’s here. And it’s reshaping the job market with ruthless precision.

On one side, we’re seeing entire departments vaporized by automation. On the other, new opportunities are exploding in fields most professionals barely understand. The question is no longer if you’ll be affected—it’s when, how, and whether you’ll emerge stronger or sidelined.

Let’s unpack the reality.

The Great Displacement: Who’s Getting Left Behind?

In just the past year:

• IBM axed 8,000 HR roles, turning to AI for administrative efficiency.
• Microsoft slashed 7,000 jobs, including many in traditional tech roles.
• Chegg, once a tutoring titan, cut nearly a quarter of its workforce as students flocked to AI-powered learning tools.
• Salesforce, Amazon, Dell, and Workday all followed suit—trimming teams, not because business is down, but because AI is up.

These are not low-skill jobs. Many were high-paying, white-collar roles—data entry, project management, customer support, marketing operations—once considered safe.

As AI tools grow more powerful, they’re not just replacing labor. They’re redefining value.

The AI Gold Rush: Where the Jobs Are Soaring

While some doors close, others are flung wide open.

• AI-related job postings surged 61% in 2024 alone.
• As of 2025, specific sectors have reported dramatic increases in AI-related job postings: insurance firms saw a 74% rise, non-profits reported a 56% increase, and marketing roles grew by 52%, driven largely by AI applications in customer behavior analysis, personalization, and content automation.
• Roles like Machine Learning Engineer, AI Ethicist, Prompt Engineer, Data Scientist, and AI Product Manager are in skyrocketing demand.
• The healthcare, finance, marketing, and education sectors are all hiring aggressively to support AI integration and innovation. 

Here’s the kicker: these new roles aren’t just technical. They require strategy, insight, ethics, communication—precisely the traits top-tier advisors, consultants, and creators already possess.

Why You Must Pay Attention—Now

If you’re a coach, consultant, advisor, entrepreneur, or influencer, here’s what matters:

• Your clients are scared and confused. Some don’t even know what questions to ask.
• Others are blindly jumping into AI without strategy, burning money and trust.
• And many still believe AI is a “tech department issue.” It’s not. It’s a leadership, marketing, and human capital

This is your moment.

The leaders of tomorrow won’t be the ones who know the most about AI. They’ll be the ones who can guide others to understand it, adopt it, and profit from it.

Your Action Plan: From Disruption to Domination

• Elevate Your Expertise
Don’t become obsolete. Invest in understanding the AI tools reshaping your industry—and those of your clients.
• Reposition Your Value
Speak the language of the future. Help your audience see you as the bridge between uncertainty and opportunity.
• Build IP That Scales
AI thrives on content. Create frameworks, courses, prompts, and processes that amplify your thought leadership.
• Lead the Conversation
Write, speak, advise. The world doesn’t need more AI tools—it needs interpreters, strategists, and visionaries who know how to turn tech into traction. 

Peter Drucker once said, “The best way to predict the future is to create it.”

AI is not the enemy of your success. Complacency is. The question is: Will you ride the wave—or be washed away by it? 

If you’re ready to not just survive this shift but lead it, then join others inside our soon-to-be-released The AI Insider Lab—an exclusive course and community designed to help forward-thinking professionals harness the power of AI, elevate your impact, and future-proof your business.

Reply with ‘JOIN’ if you’d like to be one of the first to gain access.

Get your copy of my latest new books available now on my Amazon’s author page.