In this episode, Tamara and Dr. Mike trade the scary headlines for a calmer, more useful question: what can you actually do about AI and your career?

In this episode of the Career Compass Podcast, host Tamara Loring sits down with Dr. Mike Smith to take on the question quietly keeping millions of professionals awake at night: “Will AI take my job?” Their conversation moves past the doom-and-gloom and into something far more useful—what you can actually control.

“Almost everyone we talk to has the same 2 a.m. question. It isn’t really, ‘What will AI do?’ It’s, ‘Will I still fit?’ That fear is real—and it’s also the starting line for taking back control.”  — Tamara Loring

That is the heart of why The Entrepreneur’s Source® created this conversation. We talk with people like you every day who feel their role might shrink, who feel stuck in a job that no longer feels safe, or who simply don’t know where to begin. As Tamara reminds listeners, we are not the hero of your story. You are. Our job—and your coach’s job—is to be the guide.

Why the Worry Is Real

Early in the episode, Dr. Mike makes one thing clear: the anxiety isn’t irrational. The data backs it up.

A 2025 Pew Research Center study of more than 5,000 employed U.S. adults found that 52% of workers feel worried about how AI may be used in the workplace, and 32% believe it will mean fewer job opportunities for them over the long run. Meanwhile, the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025 found that 41% of employers worldwide—and 48% in the United States—plan to reduce their workforce by 2030 where AI can do the work.

But Dr. Mike points to the number the headlines skip: that same report expects AI to create about 11 million new jobs even as it displaces about 9 million.

“Fear is a terrible planning tool. Thinking you have no control is an illusion. You can’t control whether your company adopts AI—but you can absolutely control how informed you are and how you position your value.”  — Dr. Mike Smith

The Part You Can Control: Your North Star

Tamara steers the conversation toward the question she says changes everything—not “What job should I chase next?” but “What life am I actually trying to build?”

“Before you chase the next job, get clear on your North Star—your goals for income, lifestyle, wealth, and equity. When you know the life you want, every career decision suddenly gets easier.”  — Tamara Loring

With that North Star defined, the hosts say, you can finally ask sharper questions: Does my current job move me toward this, or just keep me busy? If AI changed my role tomorrow, would I still want it? Is there a better vehicle to get me where I want to go?

Three Kinds of People in the Age of AI

One of the episode’s biggest moments is Dr. Mike’s framework for how people respond to disruption. He describes three groups forming as AI matures:

• The Empowered—they take ownership, learn the tools, and choose paths that fit their goals.
• The Displaced—they rely only on tasks a machine can copy, and are caught off guard when those tasks disappear.
• The Dependent—they wait for an employer or system to rescue them.

“AI won’t replace humans. But humans using AI will replace humans who don’t. The empowered don’t run from this wave—they learn to surf it.”  — Dr. Mike Smith

How a Career Ownership Coach® Makes the Difference

So how do you join that empowered group? Tamara and Dr. Mike agree the fastest path is not going it alone. A Career Ownership Coach® is a trained, neutral guide who helps you get clear on your goals, understand your real AI risk, explore options you may never have considered—including Career Ownership through proven, supported models—and challenge the beliefs that keep you stuck.

“You are the hero of your story. A Career Ownership Coach® is simply the guide who helps you read the map—asking better questions so the answers you reach are truly your own.”  — Tamara Loring

Through Career Ownership Coaching™, many clients say the same thing: “I didn’t even know these paths existed.” The options were always there—no one had ever connected them to their goals.

Why “Just Keeping Your Job” May Not Be Enough

Tamara raises the hidden cost of standing still. Gallup reports U.S. employee engagement fell to about 31% in 2024, the lowest in a decade—and roughly half of U.S. workers are “not engaged,” doing the bare minimum and watching the clock. Staying put without a plan, the hosts note, isn’t safety. It’s just familiar.

Freedom Requires Responsibility

As the episode closes, Dr. Mike returns to a theme that runs through all of his coaching.

“If you value freedom, you have to accept responsibility for it. Most people wait until a crisis forces their hand. But if you think the price of success is expensive, just wait for the cost of regret.”  — Dr. Mike Smith

You don’t have to wait for a layoff or a burnout moment to begin. You can treat right now as a research project on your own future—and explore your options with a Career Ownership Coach® at no cost and no obligation.

“You don’t need all the answers today. You just need the courage to ask the right questions—with someone in your corner. Let’s explore what’s possible when you take ownership.”  — Tamara Loring

Take our AI Threats Assessment and learn what impact AI will have on your Career 

00:00:00 Intro & Music
00:00:08 Opening Hook — Change Before You Have To
00:00:31 Welcome to Career Compass | Episode Overview
00:01:28 Recap of Episodes 1 & 2 | Today's Topic: Will AI Take My Job?
00:03:38 The Three Fears People Have About AI at Work
00:05:02 What the Data Says — Gallup Stats on AI Job Anxiety
00:05:30 Doc's Take: Research Your Own Role & Industry
00:06:22 The Danger of Social Media Overload on AI Fear
00:06:45 Why a Neutral Coach Changes Everything
00:07:12 AI Won't Replace You — But Someone Using AI Will
00:09:09 Three Types of People AI Will Create
00:10:34 Historical Perspective: Technology Has Always Disrupted Work
00:11:57 "Change Before You Need To" — Doc's Core Message
00:13:31 Rethinking Your Career Identity in an AI World
00:17:10 Start With the End in Mind — Income, Lifestyle & Wealth Goals
00:18:47 It's a Proven System — and It Costs You Nothing But Time
00:19:20 Making an Educated Choice vs. Going Through the Motions
00:21:17 Reflection Prompts — Questions to Ask Yourself
00:21:54 The Power of a Coach to Challenge Your Thinking
00:23:34 Take the AI Threats Assessment — careercompassshow.com
00:24:27 Freedom Requires Responsibility — Final Thoughts
00:25:36 Preview of Episode 4 — Toxic Workplaces & Breaking Free