2026 Predictions from Mei Dent, TeamViewer’s Chief Product & Technology Officer

Through 2026, the narrative around "AI-proof careers" will be recognized as fundamentally flawed. We shouldn't be thinking about careers being replaced by AI - the future is human plus AI, not versus AI.

Rather than making specialists obsolete, AI democratizes specialized tools, expanding who can use them effectively. AI lowers the bar so that product managers, for example, can also use sophisticated design tools that were previously only for trained professionals. The "special skill" becomes accessible to more people, while the experts can focus on more complex, creative challenges.

We must stop asking which roles will survive AI and start asking how every role can be enhanced by AI. Organizations should focus on training employees to become AI orchestrators - teaching them not just to use AI tools, but to critically evaluate outputs, guide AI toward better results, and identify opportunities for AI augmentation. Business leaders must foster a culture that encourages experimenting with AI tools across all functions, not just technical roles. The goal isn't to protect jobs from AI, but to evolve every job to leverage AI as a force multiplier.