AI Is Enhancing Jobs, But Humans Drive Energy and Chemicals
- Kimberly Wilson
- Jun 3
- 9 min read
Updated: 24 hours ago
AI is transforming work—but it’s human insight that still drives the energy and chemical industries forward.
TL;DR | Is AI Enhancing Jobs or Replacing Them?
▍ AI is transforming how we work, not replacing everyone.
▍ Entry-level and admin roles are at risk, especially in sectors where women are overrepresented.
▍ But this shift also creates opportunity: for reskilling, reimagining work, and building new career paths.
▍ The future belongs to companies and individuals who evolve with AI, not fear it.
The Real Conversation: Is AI Enhancing Jobs or Taking Them?
AI is enhancing—not replacing—most roles. It automates repetitive tasks while amplifying human skills like judgment, empathy, and creativity.
There’s been no shortage of headlines about AI replacing workers, wiping out roles, and reshaping entire industries.
And yes, the shifts are fundamental, especially in entry-level and administrative positions. Given where women are most represented in the workforce, these changes are hitting women hardest. But that’s not the whole story.
AI is also enhancing how we work, opening doors to entirely new roles and freeing people to focus on the parts of their jobs that require judgment, empathy, and creativity. The opportunity now isn’t to fear the change, it’s to shape it. That means reskilling, redesigning roles, and ensuring no one gets left behind.
What’s Changed in the Past Year? A Rapidly Evolving AI Job Landscape
In just the last 12 months, the conversation around AI and jobs has shifted from future speculation to present-day urgency. AI is being adopted more rapidly and is no longer a distant disruptor; it’s reshaping how work gets done. That’s why this post, originally written in 2024, needed a complete rewrite for 2025.
AI has moved from isolated pilots to core workflows in many organizations, especially in operations, analysis, and client service. Roles are being redefined, teams are restructuring, and leaders are realizing that staying ahead means understanding how AI enhances some jobs and replaces others. The shift isn’t subtle anymore. It’s here.
Here’s What Has Become Visible in the Last Year
⚠️ Entry-Level Jobs Are Under Pressure
Recent reports indicate a significant impact on entry-level positions:
Due to AI advancements, certain job categories are already shrinking, and projections suggest that up to 50% of entry-level white-collar roles, particularly in law, finance, and consulting, could be eliminated within five years. (Business Insider, May 2025).
A 2024 study by Intelligent.com found that both intern and entry-level jobs are declining due to the rise of AI.
As AI handles tasks traditionally given to interns, internship postings are down compared to last year and are below 2019 levels. (Hiring Lab, 2025)
Gen Z workers face challenges entering the job market, with AI automating many roles that were once stepping stones for early-career professionals. The press has regularly reported that job fairs have 25% fewer jobs available this year, including a report by KHOU in Houston on June 3, 2025.
👩💼 Gender Disparities Intensify
The impact of AI is not equal, and women are being hit harder in this shift:
Women are 3x more likely than men to lose jobs to AI-driven automation, particularly in clerical and administrative roles, according to the UN's International Labour Organization (ILO).
According to the World Economic Forum (2023), by 2027, 26 million fewer jobs are expected in roles like:
Cashiers and ticket clerks
Data entry
Bookkeeping and payroll
Executive and administrative support
This is driven by automation and digitalization, and women disproportionately hold these jobs.
In Mercer’s Global Talent Trends Survey, 54% of executives said women are overrepresented in roles at high risk of AI disruption.
Beyond role displacement, trust in AI also varies.
Women remain underrepresented in AI-related fields and show lower levels of trust in how AI influences career advancement and decision-making. This lack of trust raises deeper concerns about fairness, transparency, and long-term equity in the workplace.
(Source: S&P Global, 2023 – “Women have lower trust in AI’s fairness and career impact.”)
🚀 Emergence of New AI-Centric Roles
While some jobs are being displaced, entirely new roles are emerging fast:
Chief AI Officer (CAIO)
Reports to the CEO/COO and oversees operationalizing AI, managing risk, and aligning AI to business strategy.
Chief AI Ethics Officer (CAIEO)
Leads policy, governance, and ethical implementation of AI across the business.
AI Prompt Engineers
In demand to optimize prompts and fine-tune how AI tools respond in real-world use.
AI Ethics Consultants
Works with companies to build ethical AI design, development, and use frameworks.
These roles often require a blend of technical expertise and soft skills, highlighting the evolving nature of the job market.
AI as a Job Partner: Collaboration Over Replacement
Across industries, AI isn’t replacing humans. It’s partnering with them.
From healthcare to logistics, AI enhances work by automating tedious parts and freeing people to focus on strategy, creativity, and connection.
Here’s what that looks like in practice:
In engineering:
AI tools, such as predictive maintenance systems, flag potential issues early, reducing downtime and allowing engineers to focus on design and innovation.
In marketing:
AI analyzes customer data to surface trends and insights, while strategists focus on crafting creative, brand-aligned campaigns.
In customer service:
Chatbots handle FAQs and simple requests, while human agents take on complex, high-empathy conversations that require nuance.
The takeaway? AI is best utilized where it supports, rather than replaces, human judgment, emotional intelligence, and critical thinking.
A recent article in Bloomberg highlights both the advances and the challenges of AI integration in the workplace—especially the continued need for human judgment, emotional intelligence, and critical thinking. Take healthcare, for example: nurses now interact with AI systems that prompt faster patient movement through hospitals. But not every case fits a formula. While some operations teams may strictly follow AI guidance, nurses often pause, using their professional judgment to delay discharge when a patient isn’t truly ready. It’s a clear reminder: AI can assist—but people still lead.
Where the Risk Is Real: Entry-Level, Administrative, and Repetitive Work
Let’s not gloss over the data we already covered. The impact of AI on women and entry-level, administrative, and support roles isn’t theoretical. It’s already happening.
We’re witnessing a gradual erosion of job categories that have traditionally served as gateways into the workforce. Women, who make up a disproportionate share of these roles, carry much of the weight.
But this isn’t the end of the story. If AI is improving jobs overall, we need to ensure it does so without erasing opportunities for others.
So what’s the path forward?
We redesign not just the technology, but also the talent strategy.
That means investing in reskilling and upskilling programs that are inclusive, accessible, and aligned with emerging roles. It means rethinking how we value “entry-level” work and expanding internal mobility so early-career professionals have a clear runway to grow. And it means ensuring that human strengths, such as communication, judgment, and adaptability, aren’t only acknowledged but also actively developed and rewarded.
Because AI might be changing how work gets done, but people still define what work means.
AI Enhancing Creativity and Knowledge Work
The idea that AI stifles creativity is increasingly outdated. Professionals across various industries, including writers, designers, engineers, marketers, and strategists, are utilizing AI as a creative collaborator. Tools like ChatGPT, Midjourney, and DALL·E aren’t replacing imagination but amplifying it.
What’s shifting isn’t the need for creativity; it’s the process.
▍ First drafts are generated faster
▍ Research becomes more targeted and efficient
▍ Patterns and trends surface earlier
▍ Routine ideation is accelerated, not outsourced
This means professionals can focus on what they do best: high-value work that requires emotional intelligence, originality, and strategic thinking. AI clears the clutter, allowing humans to lead with vision.
The Rise of Human-Centered AI Skills
As AI tools automate the repetitive, what’s rising in value are the skills machines can’t replicate. The future of work belongs to professionals who bring emotional intelligence, ethical judgment, adaptability, and creative problem-solving to the table.
These human-centered skills are becoming non-negotiable in an AI-enhanced workplace:
▍ Empathy – to build trust, navigate complexity, and respond to nuance
▍ Communication – to translate insights into action across teams and stakeholders
▍ Collaboration – to align human strengths with evolving tech capabilities
▍ Foresight – to anticipate impact, not just execute tasks
For hiring managers, this means rethinking what makes someone “qualified.” Job descriptions need to evolve, and talent development plans need to prioritize human insight alongside technical fluency.
The companies that will excel aren’t just chasing automation. They’re doubling down on the people who can do what AI can’t.
Rethinking Talent Strategy for an AI-Enhanced Future
Companies that treat AI only as a cost-cutting tool risk more than budget overruns; they risk losing top talent. The real opportunity lies in using AI to amplify your team’s impact, not replace it.
Here’s how to build a hiring strategy that embraces both innovation and inclusion:
▍ Audit roles realistically
Identify which tasks can be automated and which require human strengths, such as judgment, empathy, and creativity.
▍ Invest in learning
Offer employees the time and support they need to build AI literacy. It’s not just about upskilling coders, it’s about helping every employee interact confidently with new tools.
▍ Redesign roles
Blending technology with human insight. Don’t just bolt AI onto existing jobs; rethink how work gets done.
▍ Prioritize equity
Entry-level, administrative, and support roles, especially those held by women, are most at risk. Plan for transition paths, not just job cuts.
Energy and chemical companies, in particular, face added pressure to stay competitive while navigating complex regulatory, safety, and workforce challenges. Strategic hiring that combines human potential with AI efficiency can provide a significant competitive edge.
AI in Energy: Optimizing Operations in Oil and Gas
In the energy sector, such as oil and gas, AI is enhancing productivity and driving measurable results. Chevron, for example, broke production records in the Permian Basin by using AI to optimize drilling, shorten cycle times, and reduce methane emissions by 60%. AI-powered sensors, autonomous valve controls, and remote data operations are transforming the way field teams operate, enhancing safety, efficiency, and profitability. (Chevron Newsroom, 2024)
The takeaway? In industries where every decision impacts scale, safety, and margins, AI is becoming a must-have tool. However, as automation increases, companies must also think strategically about human roles, ensuring that the workforce evolves alongside the technology.
AI in Action: The Chemical Industry Becoming Leaner and Smarter
The chemical industry isn’t just using AI. It’s leaning on it to stay competitive in a high-cost, innovation-driven market. In 2025, U.S. chemical companies are accelerating their adoption of GenAI, predictive analytics, and IoT to modernize operations, optimize production, and reduce downtime.
According to the ISG Provider Lens™ report, AI-enhanced tools have boosted efficiency by up to 10% by enabling predictive maintenance, real-time equipment monitoring, and digital twin simulations. These innovations aren’t replacing workers. They’re helping them work smarter, safer, and faster.
AI is also changing the pace of research. Chemical firms are using GenAI to discover new materials, simulate formulations, and shorten development timelines. What once took months in the lab can now be modeled in days.
And it doesn’t stop at performance; AI is also helping the industry meet rising environmental expectations. From tracking emissions to enabling advanced recycling, AI-powered tools are assisting chemical companies to become more sustainable without sacrificing output.
In a sector known for complexity, AI is becoming the invisible teammate that helps people solve bigger problems, move faster, and innovate boldly. (Businesswire, 2025)
Final Thoughts: The Human Advantage
AI may enhance jobs, but the human layer brings insight, empathy, and adaptability that machines can’t replicate. The future of work isn’t about replacing people; it’s about redefining how they contribute, collaborate, and create value.
As automation advances, the real differentiators will be people who can lead with curiosity, communicate across teams, and adapt to changing technology.
Common Questions: How AI Is Enhancing Jobs (or Changing Them)?
1. What jobs are most at risk from AI automation?
Jobs that involve repetitive, rule-based tasks, like data entry, administrative support, and some entry-level white-collar roles, are most at risk. Clerical work, payroll, and scheduling are being increasingly automated. Women disproportionately hold these positions, which adds urgency to the conversation around equity and workforce planning.
2. How is AI changing the workplace?
AI is shifting how work gets done across industries. It’s not just about automating tasks, but also about enabling new ways of thinking, collaborating, and problem-solving. From predictive maintenance in energy to accelerated R&D in chemicals, AI enhances human capabilities while requiring companies to rethink roles, skills, and culture.
3. What are examples of new jobs created by AI?
AI is opening up entirely new career paths. Roles like Chief AI Officer, AI Prompt Engineer, and AI Ethics Consultant didn’t exist a few years ago. These jobs blend technical know-how with soft skills like strategic thinking and ethical judgment, showing how AI is expanding, not shrinking, the workforce in key areas.
4. What skills will matter most in an AI-powered future?
Human-centered skills are rising in value. Empathy, adaptability, communication, and critical thinking are becoming increasingly important, especially in industries that navigate complexity, such as energy and chemicals. AI can process data, but can’t replicate human intuition, collaboration, or ethical reasoning.
Here is an excellent example of AI's lack of ethical rationale, as seen in a case study where AI was told it would be replaced. This incident isn't the only example of deceptive behavior.
5. How can companies prepare their workforce for AI?
It starts with an honest audit of which roles can evolve and where humans still create the most value. From there, companies need to invest in upskilling, update job descriptions, and develop career mobility paths. The goal is not just efficiency, but building future-ready, inclusive teams that can grow with the technology.
Key Takeaway: AI is transforming work across energy and chemicals, but the companies that win are those investing in people as actively as they invest in technology.
If you’re rethinking your workforce strategy to align with this shift, we’re here to help. At TLR Search, we partner with companies in energy and chemicals to build future-ready teams. We help you attract talent that aligns with your work culture, values career growth, and makes meaningful contributions in an AI-enhanced world.
👉 We are energy recruiters and chemical recruiters who understand the changing landscape.
Curious how recruiters and AI work best together? Discover the hiring strategies that combine tech efficiency with human insight in Why Hiring Managers Still Need AI and Human Recruiters Working Together (TLR Search, 2025)
This post is part of our future-ready hiring series—explore how top teams are adapting to AI, sustainability, and the next era of work.