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Kevin O’Leary Predicts Which Jobs AI Will Erase (And the 3 It Won’t Touch)

Here's where O'Leary thinks AI is pushing the job market.

By Sarah Sharkey , Edited by Calista Headrick

Updated Sept. 9, 2026

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It's no secret that artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to change the job market in a major way. In some ways, AI has already changed the way many businesses operate. But the changes are likely to continue, at least according to Kevin O'Leary.

This article covers the impact this Shark Tank expert expects to see AI have on the job market. If your job might be on the chopping block, it might be a good time to start looking for alternative ways to make extra money.

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The jobs O'Leary thinks may be on the chopping block

Although no one knows exactly what jobs will fall away in the new age of AI, O'Leary's position as a successful businessman gives him some insight into the possibilities. Here's a look at some of the jobs he thinks might be poised for obsolescence as AI improves.

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Consultants

Businesses often bring in outside consultants for a fresh take and to improve their operations. But recently, many companies have started turning to AI before hiring an expensive consultant.

"Even the companies that I invest in that used to use a lot of consultants for very specific vertical situations, like changing retail distribution, or should they keep two tiers of distribution versus three, are first going to AI, which they can do for a lot cheaper," said O'Leary in a recent episode of The Founder's Mindset podcast.

Tech Support

When you interact with tech support, it's often with the help of a chat box or email account. At some point, O'Leary thinks companies will rely on AI to handle basic tech support instead of paying employees to handle this repetitive task.

In a recent post on LinkedIn, O'Leary wrote, "I tend to believe the economy absorbs these new technologies as tools that create new jobs. In this case, removing the low-paying jobs, the redundant jobs that you can replace with AI, tech support jobs, for example, on the phone with AI agents.

Fast Food Workers

"Everybody's hysteria about losing jobs, making hamburgers or flipping them, being replaced by a robot, that's probably true," O'Leary said in an interview with Tucker Carlson.

As technology improves, fast food chains can outsource more of the process to technology. In fact, you might have already seen this happening with more self-service kiosks popping up for you to create your own fast food order.

The jobs O'Leary perceives as safer

Of course, no job is completely safe from AI threats. But according to O'Leary, some jobs are more likely to stick around. Some of these include:

Engineers

As AI pushes out redundant jobs, it gives companies more margin to invest in higher-paying jobs, like engineers. "That makes room for much higher-paid jobs, the engineers that design the agents and all of the tools that you can develop with AI," wrote O'Leary on LinkedIn of AI eliminating tech support jobs.

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Scientists

As the AI industry booms, it's becoming clear that it will consume an immense amount of energy. Many scientists may find job security in working on ways to improve energy efficiency to support the long-term viability of intense AI usage.

"This isn't just hype anymore. AI is already changing how companies operate, and the next constraint is becoming obvious, energy," wrote O'Leary in a recent LinkedIn post. "You can't build the AI economy without the power to run it."

Entrepreneurs

"AI isn't here to replace great entrepreneurs. I see it as leverage," O'Leary wrote in a recent X post.

Instead, good entrepreneurs can use this new technology to supercharge their businesses. For those adopting AI, it could allow them to do more and move faster in a competitive market.

Bottom line

As the job market continues to change, it's likely that the impacts of AI will continue to make waves. For some, this could mean incredible opportunities. For others, it could mean learning new skills to land a job that's less susceptible to AI interference.

With the changing economic situation out of our control, it's always a good idea to prepare yourself financially to carry you through the potentially turbulent times ahead.

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