I made this call about 15 years ago and I stand by the number. By 2030, robots, automation, and AI take roughly 30% of all repetitive and routine work, across both white-collar and blue-collar roles, and crucially, parts of jobs, not just whole jobs.
I reject both lies. The mainstream media says AI destroys all jobs, because fear sells clicks. The Big Tech CEOs say AI changes nothing, to keep you calm and invested. I am not a Big Tech CEO pushing my stock price. I have no stock to pump and no panic to sell. The truth is 30% of the routine, and a redesign of the rest. Even the consultants who sold the automation decks are living it: McKinsey is cutting 10% of its own workforce because of AI.
The move is not to fear it. Let the machines take the repetitive, heavy, dirty, and dangerous work. Humans move up to the meaningful, the social, and the creative.