Not thinking about obsolescence? You’ll likely become obsolete
Obsolescence used to be something that happened to companies. Blockbuster, Kodak and BlackBerry. Weirdly comforting stories because they allowed the rest of us to believe decline was something that happened to Luddites, not us. It was slow, visible, and avoidable with a decent roadmap and a sprinkling of organisational change.
That luxury is gone.
Today, obsolescence is becoming more personal. First it taunts you quietly, then suddenly sweeps your legs from underneath you.
If you’re not actively thinking about how your role, your skills, and your value could be automated, bypassed, or made irrelevant, then someone else already is. Very likely assisted by a machine or fully replaced by one. Very likely faster than you expect.
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Talking about AI Is over
We’re reaching the end of the “talking about AI” phase. All those panels, podcasts, LinkedIn hot takes are getting tiresome or obsolete in themselves.
Now we need to use AI for real.
AI has become a force multiplier, rather than a curiosity to play around with or a slide in a strategy deck. Like all force multipliers, it amplifies rather than replaces expertise… or it starkly exposes the absence of it.
Using AI well means pairing it with reviewing and editing judgement, business context, and lived experience. It means letting your ideas come alive through the tools, not hiding behind them. Nobody wants to hire an expensive “seat-to-keyboard interface” for ChatGPT. If that’s all you’re offering, the economics are not in your favour.
Those winning right now aren’t saying “AI will change everything”. They’re quietly delivering faster, smarter, and better outcomes because they embed this new technology into how they think and work.
Value is no longer optional
For years, many organisations carried people whose primary contribution was navigation. Politics. Optics. The occasional offsite. A carefully curated aura of importance, often supported by business-class “eventcations” and a generous expense policy.
Contrary to the overhyped indulgence of Dubai-residing tech bros, that era is ending.
Delivery has never been more visible, and valuable output leaves a trail of commercial and operational success. Poor decisions have consequences that can be traced, as can waste.
Ironically, AI is the perfect investigative partner for spotting patterns humans overlook or politely ignore.
Accounts Payable teams now have tools that notice anomalies they used to miss. CFOs have fewer excuses for blind spots. Only the truly naïve believe tax authorities aren’t using similar technology to flag questionable VAT claims or “creative” costs.
If you don’t demonstrably add value, you won’t survive. Titles and politics won’t save you when the data tells a different story.
Perhaps those high-spending AI bros will be shot by their own gun.
Who survives this shift?
People who will overcome today’s employment and relevance challenge tend to share a few traits.
- Not afraid (or too important) to get your hands dirty.
- Strategy is vital, but execution is real.
- Learn by doing, and lead others by example, not abstraction.
- Spot hype bubbles early, without becoming cynical about valid use cases.
- Marries today’s tech with new approaches, adapting to what businesses and customers actually need rather than what’s trending.
Crucially, don’t believe AI is the answer to everything. Rather, understand this new tech is pervasive and here to stay.
Honesty, not fear
AI has likely already changed your industry, even if you are not fully aware. The question is whether you are changing with it, or hoping your role remains oddly untouched by the unstoppable forces reshaping everything around it.
Obsolescence doesn’t announce itself. It just stops asking for your opinion.
If you’re not thinking about it now, you probably should.
If you’re not sure how AI is supporting your competitors, or how you can take that advantage for your own business, get in touch. Our CxO consulting service can help transform your sales, marketing, product and technology effectiveness, without losing the spark of humanity.
Tim Meredith
Hi! I'm Tim Meredith, CEO at Fractional Teams. I write about the latest industry insights and give advice on Unified Comms development and growth.
