How AI Is Changing What’s Valuable at Work (And What To Do About It)
- Jessica Hall
- Jun 8
- 3 min read
What we consider valuable at work is shifting — fast. The skills, tasks, and roles that once defined success are being reshaped by automation, AI, and changing business goals.
The people who will thrive in this new era are the ones willing to rethink how they deliver value, learn new skills, and let go of work that no longer matters as much even when that work once defined them.
This is really hard. You worked hard over years to develop skills and it sucks to realize they aren’t valued in the market the way they once were. I’ve written before about this when discussing Immunity to Change.
Why AI Is Redefining Workplace Value
Years ago, I was headed to a wedding in Long Island with my family. My mom, a proud New Yorker, was furious at us for using Google Maps. Why? Because she knew the “best” way to get anywhere — the right turns at the right times.
That was how you showed value: you knew the way.
But Google had live traffic data. It routed us over the GW Bridge and saved us 35 minutes. She was mad. We were on time.
Value shifted. And we hadn’t told her.
Fast forward years later, and she used AI to help write a tear inducing speech for her 50th wedding anniversary. We can all adapt.
What AI Can’t Do (That Still Matters at Work)
AI is great at:
Summarizing conversations
Drafting documentation
Analyzing basic data
But AI isn’t great at judgment. It doesn’t understand context, nuance, or trade-offs. Like when my GPS wanted me to take a risky left turn across four lanes at rush hour — a technically “faster” route that no sane person would actually choose.
That’s where you come in.
You add value by:
Exercising judgment
Asking better questions
Seeing the big picture
Making smart trade-offs
How to Stay Valuable When AI Takes Over the Easy Stuff
Let’s break down a few real examples to help you run some experiments to generate value in your unique situation.
1. Note-Taking and Summaries
Old value: A junior team member took notes and sent recaps.
New value:
Share your thoughts and proposals in the meeting so it’s captured in the transcript for others
Track action items and follow-ups
Identify open questions and next steps
Propose a decision or escalate a blocker
2. Status Reports
Old value: Manual summaries of projects, blockers, and plans.
Now automated: AI tools can pull logs and generate drafts.
New value:
Add analysis: What’s trending?
Benchmark progress
Highlight patterns or risks
3. Documentation
Old value: Writing step-by-step guides.
Now automated: AI can draft from meeting transcripts or demos.
New value:
Improve find-ability and usefulness
Help clients integrate your product into their real workflow
Track whether it’s actually helping anyone
4. Competitive Analysis
Old value: Feature-by-feature comparison in a spreadsheet.
Now automated: Perplexity or Claude can do that in seconds.
New value:
Understand competitor strategy and positioning
Identify gaps and whitespace
Propose how your company can win — and draft messaging
Questions That Will Help You Create More Value
What am I doing that could be automated?
What job is my stakeholder really trying to get done?
How can I answer questions before they’re asked?
What insights can I add that AI can’t?
How can I take this task one step further or one level higher?
Human Judgment Is the New Differentiator
AI changes the game, but it doesn’t take you out of it. In fact, it makes your judgment and insight even more valuable.
“A lot of the time when AI developers claim that AI can replace this or that job, they're doing so with a very narrow conception of what that job actually involves.” – Arvind Narayanan, Director at Princeton’s Center for Information Technology
We’re not just doing different tasks. The definition of work itself is changing. So don’t just do what you’ve always done. Ask what’s most valuable now.
Final Thought: Let Go, Level Up
You are not your task list. You are not your job title. You are your ability to adapt, to grow, and to deliver value where it matters most. Get after it and I’ll help.
