Why Future Skills Depend on Today’s Tasks

In a recent Skills Connect episode, an important question came up:

Why should we focus on analyzing today's jobs when we know AI and other technologies will change the jobs of the future? Shouldn't we be focusing on the skills and jobs we'll need in the future instead?

My short answer: No. Tasks come first.

The longer answer is what we’ll cover in this newsletter.

While predicting future skills is important, it’s wasted potential to jump ahead without first understanding today's work—specifically, the tasks that make up each job. The smartest people once guided us toward roles that, in hindsight, won’t survive the rapid advancement of technology. We poured time, energy, and money into reskilling for jobs that no longer exist—a massive investment of wasted potential.

Before we dive headfirst into reskilling for the imaginary jobs of the future, we need to assess the potential impact on the jobs we do today. Only then will we have a clearer picture of what future skills truly matter.

The foundation of our workforce lies in the present tasks, which AI will support by automating the repetitive, not replacing human ingenuity. So, to predict the future, we first need to understand the now.

🔎 Tasks First, Jobs Second

Simply analyzing jobs won’t give us the full picture of how work is changing. AI is reshaping industries, but it’s important to remember: AI isn’t replacing jobs—it’s automating specific tasks. So, how do we prepare for this shift?

AI automates tasks, not skills. Tasks form the core of every role. To create a future-ready workforce, we need to first understand the tasks people are performing today. Once we have that understanding, we can:

• Identify tasks that are suited for AI automation (Hint: It’s rarely the whole job, just certain tasks).
• Determine the skills needed to complete those tasks.
• Build a roadmap for reskilling so people can move into more meaningful, higher-value work.

This reinvention of work starts with understanding tasks—because that’s where AI steps in, and people step up to take on more impactful, human-centered roles.

🔑 Skills Are Shaped by Tasks and Defined by the Future

So, how do we predict the skillsets of the future? It’s more than just analyzing today’s roles. To anticipate future skills, we need to deeply understand how tasks will evolve as technology, customer needs, and regulations shift.

Here’s the key takeaway: You can’t predict future skills without first understanding today’s tasks. It’s easy to talk about “future-proofing,” but the reality is more nuanced. We need to focus on what tasks people are doing now and consider how AI can support them by automating some of those tasks, freeing people up for creative, strategic, and uniquely human work.

Before we can even think about tomorrow’s jobs, we need to start at the task level. By understanding today’s tasks, we can build a workforce that’s ready to adapt, grow, and thrive as new skills become essential.

⚡ Augmented Workforces Are the Future—AI Workers Included

Workforce planning can’t just focus on humans anymore.

AI workers are becoming a key part of the operating model, taking over repetitive, task-based work so humans can focus on higher-value contributions. As I shared in the Skills Connect episode, companies need to rethink their strategies to integrate AI effectively.

The future isn’t about replacing people—it’s about creating a seamless partnership between human creativity and AI efficiency. Companies that succeed will be those that prepare their human workforce to be AI enabled. The key is understanding which tasks can be automated and where we can reskill people into roles that create more value and job satisfaction.

🎯 Key Takeaways:

• Start with today’s tasks: Understand the tasks people are doing now to build a foundation for the future.
• Identify where AI can help: Pinpoint which repetitive tasks AI can automate, freeing up people for more valuable work.
• Reskill and empower: Create a roadmap to reskill your workforce for roles that require creativity, strategy, and human insight—tasks AI can’t replace.

This question opened up an important discussion: you can’t predict the skills of the future without first understanding the tasks of today. That’s the key. By getting the foundation right, you’ll be ready to build a future-proof, hybrid workforce where humans and AI work together seamlessly.

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