Your career can survive the AI takeover, here’s how

Those saying AI is the future are already too late. Artificial intelligence is right here, right now, and businesses everywhere have started weaving it into every possible area of operations. There is no escaping the era of AI. So, let’s cut to the chase, is AI going to replace you at work? 

The World Economic Forum in its 2026 white paper, Four Futures for Jobs in the New Economy: AI and Talent in 2030, reports that businesses using AI in at least one function have increased from 55% in 2022 to 88% now. Moreover, the September 2025 AI Labor Market Update of LinkedIn cites that the demand for AI literacy skills has increased by 70% between 2024 and 2025, with roles going beyond the tech industry – marketing, sales, and design are also expecting candidates to be skilled in prompt engineering. 

For Mapúa Malayan Digital College (MMDC), the premier online college in the Philippines, one thing is clear here: Complacency and incuriosity will be the greatest liabilities in the AI generation. Derrick Latreille, the chief learning officer of MMDC, underlines that the age of artificial intelligence is the most opportune time to sharpen the skills that will allow you not just to wield AI, or any new technology, as a tool to stay relevant in any workplace. 

Building foundational tech skills 

Mastering AI literacy and fluency is all about developing critical thinking skills. AI, no matter its speed, is not failproof. “This is why the term ‘AI slop’ exists. The tech may provide incomplete, overly general content or develop software that will eventually fail or make your systems vulnerable to security threats,” Latreille explains. He underscores that for now, AI is only as useful as the human engaging it. He adds that it’s only as good as the user, who should be able to understand its tremendous capabilities as well as its inherent limitations. It’s a must for a user to give AI the necessary context and clarity. 

“Anyone can use AI, but not everyone will be turning in meaningful work. Using AI is just like using any other tool or technology. You have to learn to use it properly and effectively. AI  needs to become your competitive advantage, and you can achieve this best by understanding transformers generally, understanding various tools specifically, iterating with settings and learning, and practicing many methods and processes of prompt engineering,” says Latreille. 

Embracing your humanity

Here’s a career tip: Don’t make AI your entire personality. Your soft skills matter the most now. If technology is here to stay, so too are humans. The machine is here to free you up to focus on your true strengths and what really matters: creativity, strategic planning, and high-level decision-making.

“Empathy, emotional intelligence, and sound ethical judgement, careful decision making, and imagination are still uniquely human qualities valued in the workplace,” shares Latreille. “Our ability to connect, compromise, negotiate, lead, and motivate is still irreplaceable. Machines are not on the verge of being better than humans in resolving complex workplace conflicts, inspiring a team, and making customers feel seen and heard. In an increasingly automated world, this ‘human touch’ will be the ultimate edge that sets exceptional leaders and organizations apart from the rest.”

Being a fast, eager learner

While AI is the now, who knows what kind of technology will evolve next. “One key to staying relevant in an AI world is increasing your capacity to quickly evolve, adapt, and incorporate everything new. For now, AI is trained on yesterday’s internet. When something is emerging, starting, evolving, AI doesn’t have visibility into this.  You and your network–friends, partners, teammates, and coworkers–can possess an understanding of nuance and emerging information that will allow you to work with AI to create better differentiations and predictions,” notes Latreille. 

“Reskilling and upskilling are a must today. A lot of people are saying, ‘You won’t lose your job to AI, you’ll lose your job to someone using AI.’ That’s true. Failure to learn AI and improve the skills you have that AI doesn’t, will leave you vulnerable.” 

Given this reality, Latreille further emphasizes that adopting a mindset for lifelong learning is now the key to achieving professional success and resilience. 

This is where Mapúa Malayan Digital College can step in. As the premier online college in the Philippines, MMDC is all set to gear up the workforce for the age of AI and beyond. 

To help students improve AI fluency, MMDC has already infused AI in its curriculum with its own 24/7 AI support. This enables students to enhance understanding, practice real-world scenarios, and review their work. MMDC further supports this learning tool by providing access to top content from universities and organizations worldwide. 

“With our tech-forward curriculum, MMDC can accurately identify the demands and challenges of the AI-driven future, helping our students prepare for the real world,” says Latreille. 

With morning, afternoon, and evening classes, MMDC offers flexible, fully online Bachelor of Science Information Technology (BS IT) degree programs dedicated to delivering relevant, in-demand tech and business skills such as software development, cybersecurity, data analytics, marketing tech, and entrepreneurship tech. 

Doing away with traditional exams, the MMDC curriculum follows a Projects, Problems, and Cases (PPC) model that connects students with industry experts to build practical skills and real-world insights that are immediately applicable in the workplace.  

“MMDC is the preferred college among working students who need the flexibility and the important skills to stay competitive in today’s workplace,” says Latreille. “We are dedicated to teaching our students both the hard tech know-how and the interpersonal skills, as well as the thinking that leverages and works with AI. We are driven by our desire to create capable graduates who will be able to add value to their organization and eventually shape their industries and direct the future.” 

MMDC is rooted in Mapúan Academic Excellence, which has an established reputation for providing top-quality education in engineering and technology. A Mapúa diploma is recognized not just in the Philippines but also worldwide, as it consistently ranks among the top universities in global rankings. 

MMDC also offers fully online, short-term Certification Programs, specifically tailored for non-graduate professionals and career shifters who want to immediately gain skills to accelerate promotion, shift fields, or unlock new opportunities in high-growth industries. MMDC Certifications Programs cover Virtual Assistance, Digital Marketing, AI, Data Analytics, and English Language Training.

“Investing in yourself and building your learning agility can be the best decisions you can make for your career today,” emphasizes Latreille. “With the right guidance and mindset, anyone can surely survive AI and even thrive in this era. The real edge here lies in your willingness to evolve and stay ahead of the curve.” 

Future-proof your career with a flexible, I.T.-focused education from Mapúa Malayan Digital College. Inquire about their online programs now, visit www.mmdc.mcl.edu.ph, and follow the official  MMDC pages on Facebook and Instagram. 

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