How Gen Z can stand out in the job market in the world of AI: Focus on tasks, not titles (www.businessinsider.com)

James Ransom, a research fellow at University College London, told Gen Z jobseekers to stop chasing titles and instead audit the tasks inside roles and demonstrate AI fluency. Backed by task-level automation research from institutions like the IMF, OECD, World Bank and a recent ILO report, Ransom argues few jobs are fully automatable because key tasks still require human oversight, judgment and social skills. He says the current “augmentation” phase—where firms pilot AI, hire to experiment and look for productivity gains—creates a short window to show measurable impact (time saved, output increases, accuracy) and build repeatable playbooks for supervising and scaling LLMs and other tools. The significance for AI/ML professionals is practical: prioritize skills that machines can’t replicate easily (leadership, quality control, nuanced decision-making) and learn LLM strengths and limitations so you can integrate AI responsibly. Ransom predicts a 3–5 year human-in-the-loop era before deeper automation and headcount adjustments follow, so workers who can critically deploy, audit and manage AI systems will be best positioned. In short: focus on task mastery, measurable AI-assisted outcomes, and human-centered oversight to stay resilient as automation evolves.