The Four Personas In AI Society

Where do you fit?

As artificial intelligence rapidly transforms our world, many people are experiencing fear, anxiety, and uncertainty about their future roles in society. Headlines about job displacement and the need for technical AI skills can be overwhelming.

But here's the truth: not everyone needs to become an AI developer or technical expert to thrive in the emerging AI society.

In fact, as I've studied the evolving landscape, I've identified four distinct personas that are emerging in our AI-driven world. Understanding where you fit—and where you might want to position yourself—can help transform anxiety into opportunity.

The Four Personas in AI Society

1. AI Builders

These are the technical experts creating the AI infrastructure and tools that power our new economy. From semiconductor companies developing specialized chips to foundation model providers training large language models, to countless specialized AI app developers around the world, AI Builders establish the technical backbone of our AI ecosystem. They work across the entire AI stack—hardware, infrastructure, foundation models, orchestration layers, and applications—bringing these systems to life through their technical expertise.

• Semiconductor engineers (NVIDIA, AMD, Intel, etc.)

• Cloud infrastructure specialists (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, etc.)

• Foundation model developers (OpenAI, Anthropic, Meta, etc.)

• Orchestration layer creators (LangChain, Crew AI, etc.)

• Application developers and UX designers

• Data scientists, engineers, and professionals

• AI security specialists

While these roles are crucial and often well-compensated, they represent a relatively small percentage of the overall workforce. Not everyone needs—or should—become an AI Builder.

Credit: Andrew Ng

2. AI Users

This is where the majority of people will find themselves—and where some of the most exciting opportunities exist. AI Users incorporate artificial intelligence into their existing domains and workflows, using these tools to enhance their productivity and capabilities. They bring invaluable context and domain expertise that AI alone cannot provide.

• Knowledge workers incorporating AI tools into daily workflows

• Domain experts combining their expertise with AI capabilities

• Business owners leveraging AI to transform operations

• Consultants helping organizations implement AI solutions

• Product managers guiding AI product development

• Professionals in medicine, education, law, design, and countless other fields

The most promising career paths will emerge at the intersection of domain expertise and AI capabilities. Rather than fearing AI or abandoning established careers, most people should focus on leveraging AI to enhance their existing expertise and deliver greater value in their chosen fields.

3. AI Sponsors

These are the individuals and organizations that fund, direct, and enable AI development and deployment. AI Sponsors make the critical decisions about where resources flow, which projects receive funding, and how AI initiatives align with broader goals. They connect vision with implementation, translating potential into reality through strategic investment and support.

• Individual and institutional investors

• Government funding agencies

• Corporate executives and boards

• Venture capitalists and startup founders

• Corporate strategy and finance departments allocating resources

• Technology procurement teams

As AI capabilities expand, the role of thoughtful sponsorship becomes increasingly important in directing these powerful tools toward beneficial outcomes. Some of the venture capital firms have done extensive research on the AI ecosystems landscape.

4. AI Protectors

As AI becomes more powerful and pervasive, this group ensures that systems remain safe, ethical, and aligned with human values. AI Protectors create the frameworks and oversight that govern how AI is developed and deployed, focusing on safety, fairness, transparency, and human well-being.

• Lawmakers and regulators

• Government oversight agencies

• Economists studying AI's societal impacts

• AI ethicists and philosophers

• Legal specialists in AI regulation

• Risk management professionals

• Social scientists researching AI effects

• Compliance, procurement, and audit teams

Their work spans legal, ethical, social, and technical domains, creating the guardrails that channel AI's potential while mitigating its risks. As AI capabilities grow, the importance of robust protection mechanisms grows in parallel.

AI Leaders: The Critical Intersection

At the intersection of all four personas are AI Leaders—individuals who understand and can balance perspectives from each domain. These leaders guide organizations through AI transformation with a holistic view of technical possibilities, practical applications, resource allocation, and ethical considerations.

Effective AI leadership requires enough knowledge of each domain to facilitate communication and collaboration across boundaries, creating environments where builders, users, sponsors, and protectors work in harmony rather than opposition.

Finding Your Place in the AI Society

The most important insight from this framework is that you don't need to abandon your current expertise to thrive in the AI era. In fact, your existing knowledge combined with AI literacy is likely to be your most valuable asset.

Consider these approaches:

1. Embrace your current domain + AI: Focus on augmenting your expertise with AI capabilities rather than starting over. The question isn't whether you should abandon medicine for machine learning or education for engineering—it's how you can use AI to become a better doctor, teacher, or professional in your field.

2. Look for intersection opportunities: The boundaries between these personas offer particularly rich territory. Domain experts who understand enough about AI to bridge to technical teams create exceptional value, as do technical professionals who develop deep appreciation for specific use cases.

3. Develop AI literacy, not necessarily technical expertise: Understanding AI capabilities, limitations, and implications is far more important for most roles than knowing how to build AI systems from scratch. Focus on developing enough knowledge to effectively collaborate, evaluate options, and make informed decisions.

4. Find your natural fit: Your temperament, skills, and interests may naturally align with one persona more than others. Some people thrive in building complex systems, while others excel at applying tools to real-world problems, making resource allocation decisions, or developing ethical frameworks.

The Future Is Human + AI, Not AI Instead of Human

Despite alarming headlines, AI is not here to replace humans but to augment human capabilities. The most successful organizations and individuals will be those who leverage AI to become better versions of themselves—more creative, more productive, and more impactful.

The greatest opportunities exist not in competing with AI, but in doing what humans do best, supported by increasingly capable AI tools. Domain expertise, creativity, empathy, ethical judgment, and leadership will remain distinctly human advantages.

As you navigate the evolving AI landscape, instead of worrying about "Will AI take my job?", focus on "How can I use AI to create more value in my chosen field?"

Where do you see yourself fitting in the AI society? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments.