You spent $200K on a degree to do work that ChatGPT does in 3 seconds. How does that feel?

Episode 4 of Surviving AI delivers the uncomfortable truth about white-collar automation—with specific data for data scientists, lawyers, and accountants.

DATA SCIENTISTS:

• Microsoft study: On the "40 most vulnerable jobs" list
• 35-50% of tasks at immediate risk
• The irony: BLS projects 36% growth—but the entry ladder is disappearing
• Survival path: Pivot to AI engineering, governance, or deep domain expertise

LAWYERS:

• Paralegal work: 80% automation risk by 2026
• Junior associates: HIGH risk (research/doc review was their entire job)
• Senior partners: LOW risk (relationships, rainmaking, strategy)
• Timeline: 2025-2027 junior reductions, 2028-2035 firm restructuring

ACCOUNTANTS/CPAs:

• 50-70% of routine tasks automatable
• Entry-level: 70-95% automation risk by 2027
• CPA license provides minimal protection for routine work
• What's protected: Strategic advisory, forensic accounting, complex tax

THE COMMON PATTERN: → Entry-level positions disappearing fastest → Mid-level squeezed → Senior relatively safe—but fewer total positions

The traditional career ladder is broken. AI does the grunt work that juniors used to do to learn and advance.

📊 Exercise: List your daily tasks. Mark each as Routine/Creative, Digital/Physical, Predictable/Unpredictable. What percentage is "Routine + Digital + Predictable"? That's your danger zone.

#knowledgeworkers #datascience #lawyers #accountants #whitecollarjobs #AIautomation