I's argue no specific tool is future proof.The real skill is getting comfortable learning new tools fast and discarding old ones without attachment.
Ask HN: What skills are future proof in an AI driven job market?
41–50 of 90 posts
Re: Ask HN: What skills are future proof in an AI driven job market?
#42networking - to find gigs
bootlicking - to get promoted after you find your gig
good communication/leadership - to keep yourself in that high position
Re: Ask HN: What skills are future proof in an AI driven job market?
#43Killing/rescuing people with your brain instead of bullets and/or creating/exploding structures. Join the Army. Become a Combat Engineer Sergeant. Enjoy getting told by your superiors that they are afraid of sitting in the same room with you, because your thinking cap gaze looks like you are always plotting to kill them in the most sophisticated and fun way imaginable. Never say a word, just give them a big friendly…
> Join the Army. Become a Combat Engineer Sergeant.
I guess the enlistment age has been raised to 42 so this may actually be a realistic option for more people on this site lol.
Of course I was born just in time to be loaded up on psych meds as a child, so the military didn’t want me.
Re: Ask HN: What skills are future proof in an AI driven job market?
#44Metrology, mechanical and materials science engineering, manufacturing and tool engineering, precision engineering, and electrical and electronics engineering, combined with being a generalist and having one specialization in physical or hardware engineering along with computation. As people often say, matter, energy, and information are the fundamentals of everything. I think we need mathematics, analytic philosophy…
> Metrology, mechanical and materials science engineering, manufacturing and tool engineering, precision engineering, and electrical and electronics engineering, combined with being a generalist and having one specialization in physical or hardware engineering along with computation.
Now how does one get that if they aren’t an 18 year old in college with years and gorillions of dollars in government money to blow on an EE/CE program.
Re: Ask HN: What skills are future proof in an AI driven job market?
#45Paramedicine and nursing. These roles will adapt and use AI, but because they're still so hands-on, and there's already a shortage of staff in those roles in general, I don't see job cuts there.
Job cuts no, but your next nurse might just be a "gig nurse" that bid the lowest for the job. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/21/healthcare-n...
PE is highly destructive to good healthcare
Re: Ask HN: What skills are future proof in an AI driven job market?
#46Barbers, plumbers.
Re: Ask HN: What skills are future proof in an AI driven job market?
#47Re: Ask HN: What skills are future proof in an AI driven job market?
#48Communication, with both human and AI.
Re: Ask HN: What skills are future proof in an AI driven job market?
#49Psychology, psychiatry, medical, construction, auto repair, at least in the short term. The jury is still out on the long-term view which is a bit hazy at the moment :(
I agree with construction and auto repair, but why psychology and psychiatry? If there's anything that's perfect for LLMs, it self-diagnosis and self-treatment by chatting with them. Other than prescribing drugs, an AI system could do everything a psychologist or psychiatrist does. The only significant barrier is that it's not condoned by the medical establishment and by law (which I imagine will indeed take a few ye…
Those are good points, and true to be sure. But I specified that in the short term they are future proof. Long term, no one can predict.
I, just feel like LLMs are not currently at the point where the medical profession can trust them with most things medical, including a psychological diagnosis since they are habitually hallucinating. This is why some of the medical professions, including those mentioned above, are safe in the short term, more or less. By the way, you can see the disclaimers by all these chat agents that they are not medical professionals. It's more of legal-protection clause than caring advice, obviously
One wrong diagnosis or comment, and the patient could either do self-harm or harm others, given the lack of real care available and the amount of people suffering from mental illnesses, due to societal pressures.
Honestly, given the pace of all things AI, I don't see any profession to be AI-proof.
Re: Ask HN: What skills are future proof in an AI driven job market?
#50Killing/rescuing people with your brain instead of bullets and/or creating/exploding structures. Join the Army. Become a Combat Engineer Sergeant. Enjoy getting told by your superiors that they are afraid of sitting in the same room with you, because your thinking cap gaze looks like you are always plotting to kill them in the most sophisticated and fun way imaginable. Never say a word, just give them a big friendly…
> Join the Army. Become a Combat Engineer Sergeant. I guess the enlistment age has been raised to 42 so this may actually be a realistic option for more people on this site lol. Of course I was born just in time to be loaded up on psych meds as a child, so the military didn’t want me.
Their loss, guz.
Have seen some smart comments from you. I am sure you’re doing fine.
Maybe try again, at least you were on psych meds.
You can become commander-in-chief these days by being off your meds. We live in interesting times.