Let’s go back a few decades.

When the calculator was introduced, most people stopped computing manually. 

When mainframe computing introduced (COBOL) business accounting & inventory management software for enterprises, accountants in most large companies soon stopped writing their numerous ledgers (with the need to periodically tally them!) Staff requirements must have dropped – but they switched and upskilled.

Ditto when personal computers came in with accounting & inventory software, most SMBs  eventually stopped maintaining their numerous ledgers or asking their CFAs to maintain their books. One role of managing books of accounts was practically eliminated – but the CFAs switched to new roles and upskilled.

When stable Internet bandwidths became a reality, business softwares started talking to each other, bringing another level of speed & efficiency. Mobile computing added yet another layer of work from anywhere, anytime. Reducing the need for a section of support staff. As team efficiencies went up, team size went, down. But the workforce  continued to adapt.

With the advent of LLM & AI, benefits of another level of efficiency have started trickling in across the board. Businesses have already started enjoying the benefits with generative AI – but this is just the beginning.