Bernard Marr's Future of Business & Technology Podcast AI Is Coming For Your Job (Even Mine): Fiverr CEO's Brutal Wake-Up Call
Jan 7, 2026
Micha Kaufman, Co-founder and CEO of Fiverr, shares his blunt warning about AI's looming job impact, even on his own workforce. He likens current AI to a steam engine on a carriage, retrofitting old systems instead of inventing new ones. Kaufman discusses how AI is reshaping freelance work, raising the skill floor, and the importance of human creativity over automated tasks. Concerned about societal displacement, he emphasizes velocity as a competitive edge and highlights adaptability and curiosity as essential skills for the future.
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Steam Engine On A Carriage
- AI today is like putting a steam engine on a carriage rather than creating a car; we are retrofitting old processes.
- This phase raises expectations and changes standards without yet delivering wholly new paradigms.
The New Floor Of Work
- AI tends to replace repetitive, low-skill tasks that humans performed like robots.
- As the floor rises, yesterday's hard work becomes today's basic expectation.
Democratized Tools Don't Create Edge
- AI gives everyone similar enhancements, so it rarely creates unique competitive advantage by itself.
- Distinctive human creativity and taste remain the sources of real differentiation.