Goldman Sachs predicts AI could replace the equivalent of 300 million full-time jobs. But Nathan Pettyjohn, who uses AI to run four companies in just two days per week, says the real story isn’t about replacement — it’s about evolution.
“Andrew Ng said AI is the new electricity,” notes Pettyjohn, CEO of The Applied AI Association and author of AI Wants Your Job. “But unlike electricity, which simply powered existing processes, AI fundamentally redesigns them. The winners will be those who redesign first.”
The 47% Solution
According to McKinsey, 47% of workers will need to change occupations or upgrade skills significantly by 2030. Pettyjohn experienced this firsthand when he nearly burned out trying to scale his first company traditionally.
“I was working 80-hour weeks and barely keeping up,” he recalls. “Then I realized I was competing against people who were already using AI. It was like trying to dig a tunnel with a spoon while others had drilling machines.”
Within six months of implementing AI systems, Pettyjohn had:
- Reduced his working hours by 80%
- Increased revenue per employee by 100%
- Expanded from two to four companies
- Maintained work-life balance while scaling operations
Beyond ChatGPT: The System That Scales
“Most people use AI like a better search engine,” Pettyjohn explains. “That’s like using a smartphone only to make calls. The real power comes from building AI-powered systems that handle entire workflows.”
His approach includes:
- AI Project Managers: Automated systems that track progress and flag issues
- AI Analysts: Tools that synthesize data and prepare decision frameworks
- AI Content Systems: Workflows that handle everything from emails to reports
- AI Training Modules: Systems that onboard and upskill team members
The Augmentation Advantage
“Satya Nadella talks about AI as a copilot, not a replacement,” Pettyjohn notes. “In my experience, AI doesn’t want your entire job — it wants the parts of your job that waste your potential.”
PwC research shows AI could contribute $15.7 trillion to the global economy by 2030. Pettyjohn argues this will come not from job displacement but from human-AI collaboration that unlocks unprecedented productivity.
“I still make all strategic decisions,” he emphasizes. “But now I make them with comprehensive analysis that would have taken my team weeks to compile. AI handles the preparation; I handle the judgment.”
The Window is Closing
Pettyjohn‘s new book, AI Wants Your Job, isn’t a warning — it’s a wake-up call with a roadmap. The book details exactly which roles face disruption and provides actionable strategies for staying ahead.
“We have maybe 18-24 months before AI proficiency becomes table stakes for knowledge workers,” Pettyjohn warns. “Those who adapt now will thrive. Those who wait will struggle to catch up.”
For professionals ready to future-proof their careers, Pettyjohn offers intensive workshops on AI implementation. His book AI Wants Your Job launches next month, with early access available at www.nathanpettyjohn.com.
