At a recent NC Chamber Foundation board meeting, North Carolina business leaders heard from Shrinidhi Rao, chief of staff at the Burning Glass Institute, on how artificial intelligence is transforming the workforce. His message was clear: AI is not simply replacing jobs—it is reshaping how work gets done, what skills are needed, and how businesses must think about talent. 

For North Carolina’s business community, the implications are significant. As AI adoption accelerates across industries, maintaining a competitive edge will require a more intentional approach to workforce development, skills alignment, and organizational strategy. The NC Chamber Foundation is closely tracking these shifts as part of its broader efforts to strengthen North Carolina’s talent pipeline and support education and workforce systems that are agile, effective, and aligned with employer needs. 

A Familiar Pattern With New Urgency 

Rao framed AI as the next in a line of “general-purpose technologies,” similar to the internet or the industrial revolution. These technologies don’t disrupt overnight. Instead, they follow a pattern: first transforming tools, then workflows, and only later reshaping jobs. 

That pattern is already underway. 

From marketing teams to manufacturing floors, AI is being integrated into day-to-day operations—streamlining processes, accelerating analysis, and unlocking new efficiencies. But as with past technological shifts, the long-term impact will extend well beyond productivity gains. 

Automation and Augmentation Happening Together 

AI is not just automating work—it is also augmenting it. 

Within the same role, some tasks are being automated, while others are becoming more valuable. Routine work is declining, while higher-order skills—like critical thinking, communication, and strategic analysis—are increasing in importance. 

Data analysis, for example, can now be executed faster with AI tools, but interpreting results, asking better questions, and applying insights strategically still remain distinctly human strengths. 

Jobs Are Evolving, Not Disappearing 

Rather than eliminating entire occupations, AI is transforming them. 

In fields like computer science, traditional coding skills are becoming less central, while demand is growing for expertise in systems design, infrastructure, and effectively leveraging AI tools. In marketing, technical skills are giving way to a greater emphasis on innovation, strategy, and cross-functional expertise. 

The result is a shift toward more versatile, AI-enabled professionals who can apply technology across a range of business needs.  

A Changing Talent Pipeline 

One of the most pressing challenges highlighted in the discussion is the decline of entry-level roles, particularly in white-collar occupations. 

As AI enables more experienced employees to do more with less support, companies are hiring fewer entry-level employees. At the same time, demand for mid- and senior-level talent is increasing. 

This shift has significant implications for how talent is developed. Entry-level roles have traditionally served as the foundation for building skills and experience. Without those pathways, businesses and educators will need to rethink how workers gain the experience and skills needed to advance. 

The Need for Clear Signals and Stronger Alignment 

In this environment, clarity matters. 

Rao emphasized the importance of employers aligning around a shared understanding of the skills required for specific roles. Inconsistent language and expectations can make it difficult for educators and workers to respond effectively to changing demand. 

Through the Burning Glass Institute’s Skills First Workforce Initiative, efforts are underway to bring greater consistency to how skills are defined and applied across roles—helping employers, educators, and workers operate from a common framework. The NC Chamber Foundation is working alongside Burning Glass Institute to advance these efforts in North Carolina. 

Clearer skills frameworks, combined with transparency around how AI is being used within organizations, will help ensure that North Carolina’s workforce is prepared for what’s next. 

A Competitive Imperative for North Carolina 

For North Carolina, the stakes are high. 

AI is already driving productivity gains in key sectors, and early adopters are seeing measurable returns. To fully capture this opportunity, businesses must invest in their people, integrate AI thoughtfully into operations, and rethink how work is structured. 

As with past technological shifts, AI will create new opportunities even as it disrupts existing roles—making thoughtful workforce planning and reskilling more important than ever. 

North Carolina must continue aligning its education and workforce systems with the needs of a rapidly evolving economy. Through discussions like this and its broader workforce efforts, the NC Chamber Foundation is helping bring business leaders together around the strategies and partnerships needed to keep the state competitive in an AI-driven economy.