Will AI Take Your Job in 2026? Economist’s Boss Class Podcast Explores the Future of Work
As artificial intelligence races ahead faster than corporate culture can adapt, a pressing question is no longer confined to tech forums or academic conferences: Will AI replace your job by 2026?
That question sits at the heart of a new season of Boss Class, the acclaimed business and leadership podcast from The Economist, hosted by its management columnist Andrew Palmer. Returning with a fresh series of episodes, the podcast dives deep into how AI is reshaping careers, leadership, and competition inside the modern workplace—and what workers and managers must do to survive and thrive.
Launching on Thursday, 29 January, the new season arrives at a moment when anxiety over automation has become mainstream, not speculative.
Artificial intelligence is no longer an optional experiment. Across industries—from finance and law to media and software—companies are rushing to deploy AI tools, often under pressure from competitors, shareholders, or internal productivity targets.
Yet many organisations remain unsure what they are actually adopting.
“Even if AI doesn’t take your job,” Palmer warns, “someone who knows how to use it might.”
This blunt reality frames the new season of Boss Class, which examines how AI is forcing managers to make high-stakes decisions—sometimes before they fully understand the technology they are rolling out.
From Anxiety to Opportunity: The Central Question of Boss Class
Unlike podcasts that dwell on theoretical futures or utopian visions, Boss Class focuses on the lived experience of AI adoption inside real organisations.
The core questions driving the series include:
How should managers respond to AI-driven disruption?
Which jobs are genuinely at risk—and which are evolving?
Can AI become a tool for empowerment rather than displacement?
What skills will matter most in an AI-saturated workplace?
Rather than offering simple answers, Palmer sets out to test AI’s promises himself.
A Hands-On Approach: Palmer Puts AI to the Test
One of the defining features of the new series is its practical, first-person approach.
Instead of relying solely on expert interviews, Palmer actively experiments with AI technologies, including:
Cloning his own working methods
Learning to code with AI assistance
Deploying autonomous AI agents
Testing productivity claims in real-world scenarios
This approach allows the podcast to cut through hype and reveal where AI truly excels—and where it still fails spectacularly.
Episode-by-Episode Breakdown: What the New Season Covers
Episode 1: Meet the Bots
Inside the strange, fast-moving world of generative AI
The opening episode introduces listeners to the rapidly evolving universe of generative AI, where breakthroughs arrive weekly and bold claims dominate headlines.
Palmer contrasts two competing narratives:
Tech evangelists predicting the end of human employment
Managers frustrated by tools that promise more than they deliver
The episode captures the tension between ambition and reality, revealing why many companies feel simultaneously excited and overwhelmed.
Episode 2: Feeling the Vibe
Why AI is thriving in coding—and failing elsewhere
Coding has emerged as one of AI’s strongest domains, and this episode explores why.
Key themes include:
How AI enables beginners to build functional software
Why experienced developers are both empowered and threatened
The rise of AI-assisted cyber warfare among hackers
The puzzling limitations AI still faces in non-technical tasks
The episode highlights a paradox: AI can write code fluently, yet struggles with context, judgement, and nuance.
Episode 3: The Easy Button
Can AI really simplify management?
Marketed as a productivity miracle, AI is increasingly sold as a one-click solution for management complexity.
In this episode, Palmer speaks with:
Business executives
Academic researchers
AI specialists
Together, they explore:
Where AI genuinely adds value
The hidden costs of implementation
The risks of over-automation
Whether AI can meaningfully support decision-making
The takeaway is sobering: AI can accelerate workflows—but it rarely eliminates the need for human oversight.
Episode 4: GenAI v GenZ
Are entry-level jobs disappearing?
Perhaps the most emotionally charged episode tackles fears among young professionals and students.
As AI tools increasingly outperform junior employees in tasks like writing, research, and analysis, the episode asks:
Will companies still hire graduates?
How do employers identify talent when applications are AI-assisted?
What happens to career ladders if the bottom rungs disappear?
Palmer explores how hiring practices may evolve—and why human potential remains difficult to automate.
Episode 5: Call My Agent
When AI systems handle entire roles
This episode looks toward the near future, where autonomous AI agents manage full workflows without constant human input.
Topics include:
How managers might oversee AI “employees”
Accountability when algorithms make decisions
How workers can stay relevant as automation accelerates
The episode underscores a shift from task automation to role automation—a development with profound implications for white-collar work.
Final Episode: The Human Edge
What remains uniquely human in an automated world
The season concludes with a fundamental question: What can humans do that machines cannot?
Palmer argues that as routine tasks vanish, the most valuable skills will include:
Judgement and discernment
Taste and creativity
Deep expertise
Emotional intelligence
Interpersonal understanding
Rather than eliminating human work, AI may elevate the importance of distinctly human qualities.
Why Boss Class Matters in 2026
The return of Boss Class reflects a broader shift in public conversation.
AI is no longer a future scenario—it is a present force reshaping careers, hierarchies, and power dynamics at work.
The podcast resonates because it acknowledges:
Fear without sensationalism
Opportunity without hype
Complexity without jargon
In doing so, it offers a roadmap for navigating uncertainty.
A Podcast for Managers—and Everyone Else
While aimed at leaders, Boss Class speaks equally to employees, freelancers, and students.
Its core message is universal: adaptation is no longer optional.
As AI becomes unavoidable, understanding its limits may be just as important as mastering its capabilities.
Launch Details
Podcast: Boss Class
Host: Andrew Palmer (The Economist)
Launch Date: Thursday, 29 January 2026
Format: Multi-episode podcast series
Final Thoughts: The Future of Work Is Being Decided Now
As organisations rush to integrate AI, the winners will not be those who automate fastest—but those who adapt smartest.
With its blend of reporting, experimentation, and reflection, Boss Class offers one of the clearest lenses yet on how work is changing—and how humans can remain indispensable.
