AI Won’t Mass-Replace Gen Z Jobs, Says Cisco President—But This Should Worry You Instead
According to Jeetu Patel, President of security and collaboration at tech giant Cisco, the common fear that artificial intelligence (AI) will eradicate jobs, particularly for those just entering the workforce, is largely overblown. His primary concern isn’t AI itself, but the competitive gap that will emerge between those who use it effectively and those who don’t.
The Rise of Agentic AI in the Enterprise
Patel’s perspective is backed by internal Cisco research, which reveals a significant shift in corporate strategy: approximately 80% of companies plan to integrate agentic AI into their business processes. Agentic AI refers to advanced systems capable of executing multi-step tasks and making decisions with minimal human intervention.
This trend is echoed in a recent report from AI firm Anthropic. The report found that among businesses using its Claude AI, an overwhelming 77% are primarily leveraging it for automation—tasks like form-filling and data entry. Only 12% are using it for more collaborative or learning-oriented purposes, highlighting a current focus on efficiency over augmentation.
Disruption, Not Destruction: The Future of Jobs
Patel firmly believes in AI’s immense potential to enhance human work, enabling people to solve previously intractable problems. He acknowledges that this transformation will cause disruption, leading to the restructuring of certain roles and the elimination of some jobs. However, he counters the apocalyptic predictions of widespread job loss.
He specifically disputes the notion, suggested by figures like Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, that entry-level white-collar roles are on the verge of vanishing. Patel calls this view nonsensical, emphasizing the irreplaceable value that early-career professionals, especially Gen Z, bring to the table.
“Their way of interacting with AI will be fundamentally different,” Patel suggests. A 20-year-old might treat an AI as a brainstorming companion or a creative partner, while someone from an older generation might approach it as a sophisticated tool or search engine. This fresh perspective is a critical asset, not a liability.
Cisco’s Blueprint: Reskilling and Reimagining Roles
At Cisco itself, Patel is overseeing a company-wide transformation. Nearly every function is being reimagined with AI integration in mind:
Legal teams use AI to review contracts.
Developers use AI to write and debug code.
Roles across the board are being adjusted to incorporate AI tools.
This shift inevitably creates a skills mismatch. Patel states that Cisco’s strategy is to reskill and move employees with relevant aptitudes to new projects. In cases where the mismatch is too great, it can lead to reductions—a reality reflected in recent layoffs of over 200 employees, which Patel explained as a reallocation of resources toward future-skilled areas. Concurrently, the company is actively hiring for AI-centric roles in product management, R&D, and engineering.
Looking Ahead: The AGI Opportunity and the Cybersecurity Threat
Peering into the future, Patel is cautiously optimistic about the potential of artificial general intelligence (AGI)—AI with human-like cognitive abilities. He envisions AGI providing massive “throughput capacity,” solving complex problems at an unprecedented scale and accelerating fields like medicine and scientific discovery.
Yet, this power comes with profound risks. Patel’s greatest worry is not the AI itself, but bad actors wielding it as a weapon. The most pressing threats, in his view, are AI-powered cyberattacks, the misuse of critical infrastructure, and attacks on essential systems like healthcare.
For business leaders and employees alike, Patel’s message is clear: the focus should not be on fearing AI’s rise but on mastering its use. The winners in the new economy won’t be those who avoid AI, but those who harness it most effectively to augment human creativity and strategy.
