AI is coming for white-collar jobs. Discover which professional roles could vanish by 2028 — and how automation may redefine the future of work.
Artificial Intelligence is no longer just changing how we work — it’s redefining who gets to work. A recent viral Substack post by an independent analyst has reignited debate over how quickly AI could replace many white-collar jobs that once seemed untouchable.
The writer’s thought experiment imagines a not-so-distant future — around 2028 — when powerful AI systems begin handling complex office tasks that traditionally required skilled professionals. From finance and legal work to marketing, consulting, and software engineering, the post argues that AI could soon perform these functions faster, cheaper, and with near-perfect precision.
The “AI Tipping Point”
The viral essay suggests that we’re approaching an AI tipping point — where automation extends beyond blue-collar or repetitive data tasks into high-value cognitive work. Unlike past technological shifts that mainly affected manufacturing, this one could strike the heart of the knowledge economy.
Think of virtual assistants drafting legal contracts, writing financial reports, building software code, or even negotiating business deals. The question isn’t just whether this is possible — it’s what happens to millions of professionals when it becomes the new normal.
The Economic Shockwave
If large segments of the educated workforce are displaced, the ripple effects could reshape the global economy. The Substack analysis warns of potential outcomes like:
- Rising unemployment among office professionals
- Falling consumer demand, as job losses reduce household income
- A shrinking middle class, as automation hollows out mid-level positions
The author argues that this transition could mirror the industrial revolution’s disruption — but compressed into just a few years.
A Cautionary “Thought Experiment”
Importantly, the post isn’t pure doom and gloom. It’s framed as a thought experiment, meant to provoke discussion rather than make exact predictions. Some experts, including economists and AI researchers, have countered that new jobs and industries will emerge — just as they did after previous waves of automation.
But even optimists agree that adaptation will be critical. Workers will need to upskill rapidly, businesses must rethink human-AI collaboration, and policymakers will have to reimagine social safety nets to cushion the impact of massive labor shifts.
Preparing for the Future of Work
As AI continues to evolve, one thing is clear: white-collar immunity is over. The next decade will test how adaptable we are — not just as employees, but as societies built around the idea that intelligence equals employability.
If this Substack prediction is even half right, the future of work won’t just be automated — it will be redefined.
A finance writer’s dystopian 2028 thought experiment argues that AI will soon take over in dramatic ways.
What happens if the AI optimists are right and the technology turns out to be detrimental for workers?
That’s the premise behind a viral Substack essay by James Van Geelen, founder of the Critini Group, who writes from an imagined June 2028 vantage point inside what he calls a “Global Intelligence Crisis.” In his scenario, artificial intelligence doesn’t merely boost productivity. It fundamentally displaces the economic role of millions of workers.
The essay, titled The Consequences of Abundant Intelligence, asks a question originally posed by investor Alap Shah: What if our AI bullishness continues to be right… and what if that’s actually bearish?
According to Van Geelen, the first wave of displacement hits anyone whose job exists primarily to navigate tedious and complex processes. That value proposition collapses, he argues, once AI agents find nothing tedious at all.
Travel booking platforms are among the earliest casualties. AI systems can now assemble complete itineraries—flights, hotels, ground transportation, loyalty optimization, budget constraints, even refunds—faster and less expensively than any human employee.
Insurance follows. AI “agents that re-shop your coverage annually,” he writes, dismantle the 15–20 percent of premiums insurers historically earned from passive renewals.
