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Sam Altman just spent $6.5 billion betting on this transformation. He bought Jony Ive’s AI hardware startup to reimagine how humans interact with technology entirely.

Ive, the designer behind the iPhone, iPad, and iPod, is now building AI-powered devices that move us “beyond screens.” Their first products launch in 2026.

Check out their vision in the video in the comments.

While they reimagine human-computer interaction, our customers are already changing how they work.

They’re using AI to find what they need instead of traditional search. They get instant responses that directly answer their questions. AI now forms opinions on products and brands before humans do. They want ongoing relationships with AI-enhanced products, not one-time purchases.

The shift is happening whether we join them or not.

Most companies are still automating the old playbook instead of reimagining their approach. They’re building faster horses while some of their customers are boarding trains.

Recall the early smartphones with tiny screens, styluses, and no apps. Only when design thinking met breakthrough technology did they “cross the chasm.”
Suddenly what required technical expertise became simple enough for a four-year-old.

I believe that we’re at that same moment with AI and go-to-market.

Our customers are crossing into this new reality with or without us. Change is coming whether we participate or not. We can either lead our customers across or watch competitors do it.

I’ll dive deeper into this in my newsletter on Thu, May 29. Subscribe here: https://lnkd.in/eg48-RXp

UPDATE (May 29): Here’s are the real-life case studies in this newsletter, https://lnkd.in/g7uwZKtZ

I brought AI to the nursery because plants and I have a complicated relationship. I love them. They don’t usually love me back as much.

Here’s what I did:

• Used ChatGPT’s live video mode to pan over flowers and asked which would thrive in my northwest-facing area with hanging clay pots that gets 6-8 hours of sun but is protected under the pergola.

• Uploaded photos of several varieties I liked and asked for a detailed table breaking down the following for each plant: sun/water needs, height/width, temp hardiness, fertilizer requirements, bloom time, deadheading needs, etc.

I loved this. Everything in one table!

• Asked which ones would work best in my specific setups like my DIY gutter planter that’s in the shade and a small picture frame planter that’s more exposed.

This is next-level research. Very different consumer behavior. I didn’t need to know the right keywords or translate my needs into search terms. I just showed or told AI my actual situation and let it figure out the connections.

Before AI, I had to read every single plant label and do endless (traditional) Google searches and click on various blue links. Now I just video the flowers and upload photos of what catches my eye.

I now get a custom analysis and recommendations. Just me, my iPhone, AI, and what turned out to be some gorgeous flowers.

Will everything survive the summer? We’ll find out. I did overrule some of AI’s recommendations, so we’ll see how that goes. But my old approach wasn’t foolproof either.

Interestingly, I’m already seeing new work applications from this experience. Many of my work AI use cases were inspired by personal AI experiments.

Sometimes the best learning happens when you’re just trying to keep something beautiful alive.

Most people are still asking, “How do I use AI to do my job faster?”

It’s a good start. But the real unlock happens after AI takes on the repeatable work.

• What do you finally have time to focus on?

• What parts of your role become more strategic, creative, or cross-functional?

• What does your job become when AI isn’t just a tool—but a teammate?

Learning to prompt better helps but that’s not enough. This is a mindset and behavior shift.

You can’t reimagine the future by automating the past. (Henry Ford would call this our “faster horses” moment.)

Instead of worrying about replacement, let’s create what comes next.

Here’s a real-life case study of someone who has transformed her role with AI, from Dir of Growth Marketing to GTM Strategy Architect: https://lnkd.in/gEWPFmsy

Wishing everyone in the U.S. a meaningful Memorial Day weekend, a time to pause, reflect, and look ahead with purpose.

We keep telling people to “upskill and reskill” or “learn to collaborate with AI.” But what does that actually look like in practice?

Everyone talks about preparing for AI. But very few show you what you’re preparing for.

Megan Ratcliff, Growth Marketing Director at Dice, is living this evolution right now. Her manager, Carol-Lyn Jardine, says she’s as productive as someone working double the hours. On top of that, more effective delivering meaningful results while inspiring others.

The shift wasn’t about learning to prompt AI better. It was about reimagining what her role could become when AI teammates handle predictable work.

Most of us are still thinking “How do I use AI to do my current job faster?” But the better question is “What could my role become when AI handles routine execution?”

Megan’s path shows what’s possible in many of her recent posts including this one: https://lnkd.in/gQSa6XdQ

She built this with curiosity and systematic thinking, not coding skills.

People like Megan are trailblazers, redefining what jobs can be. While others worry about replacement, she’s creating her future.

Based on my work with Megan and her team, I’ve compiled a table showing how her job has changed and a sample job description of her evolved role. See below.

What would your role look like if you could focus purely on strategy, creativity, complex problem-solving, breaking down silos, and guiding AI responsibly?

Reimagine your role with AI and start building towards it.

More companies are increasingly citing AI as they announce layoffs. But are they truly replacing humans with AI or are other forces at play? I was curious.

So I put ChatGPT Deep Research to work: Which companies mentioned AI in their layoff statements this past year? How did they frame it? And to what extent was AI actually replacing human jobs?

After analyzing more than 30 sources in just a few minutes, ChatGPT delivered a comprehensive report. Then I worked with Claude to create the infographic below.

What immediately jumps out is the scale: 38,000+ jobs cut across 8 major companies with AI cited as a factor. But there’s something more interesting here.

Some companies are reorganizing their teams around AI. Intuit cut 10% of staff but plans to hire a similar number in AI-focused roles. Salesforce is eliminating some positions while adding 2,000 new “AI salespeople.” They’re also investing in upskilling their current employees to use AI tools. This mix of restructuring and retraining shows how businesses are trying to adapt fast.

There’s also a spectrum of AI’s impact. I asked ChatGPT to rate the impacts using a 5-point scale, from AI as vague justification (1) to full replacement of roles (5). Most companies fall around a “4” with AI as part of a strategic shift. But there are clear “5s” with CrowdStrike and Chegg, where AI is directly replacing human jobs.

And then there’s the messy middle. Take Klarna:

► 2022–2023: They cut ~700 customer service jobs, replacing them with AI. The CEO said, “AI can already do all of the jobs that we, as humans, do.”

► 2024–2025: They reversed course. AI hurt service quality and customer trust. They’re now rehiring humans so customers can “always have a human if you want.”

I believe that we’ll see more of these overcorrections as companies try to keep up with AI’s pace and only realize the human consequences after.

For perspective, 60% of today’s jobs didn’t exist in 1940 (more on this here, https://lnkd.in/gSNPwyRR). There were no social media managers or software developers in 1940. Jobs evolve. Some disappear. But now the pace is exponential.

In my mind, the more important question is how quickly we can reskill people and create new roles. The focus needs to shift to training, human change management, and building thoughtful human–AI teams.

We’ll have a better shot at new opportunities and thrive in the AI era when we know how to guide and work with AI responsibly.

Would love to hear your thoughts.