| WEEKLY ROUNDUP Hello, Reader. “Am I future proof?” That’s a question we should be asking both of our portfolios and of ourselves. And it’s all because of AI. The risks that artificial intelligence imposes requires us to not only future-proof our portfolios – more on that below – but also future-proof our individual career paths, to whatever extent we can. For example, which jobs are more future proof: Accountant or bartender? Software coder or yoga instructor? Graphic designer or river raft guide? I am not certain I know the answer, but if I had to place a bet, I’d place it on the bartenders, yoga instructors, and river guides. This is an aspect of AI that I call the “Revenge of the Bartender” – an honest job that I performed in my youth, and one that will probably last for as long as alcohol is legal. By contrast, what will become of the high-paying “thinking” jobs – the kind that typically require college degrees? We already know the answer: They are going away… or at least not keeping pace with overall employment trends in the U.S. The chart below shows the employment growth of four different industry groups during the last three years, relative to the overall employment growth of the U.S. Admittedly, three years is a brief sample from which to draw iron-clad conclusions, but that happens to be the span of time when AI has been infiltrating the world economy. 
As you can see, “Leisure and Hospitality” (think: bartender) is the fastest-growing employment category in the chart – up 5% more than overall employment growth. “Construction” is the second strongest category – up 4% more than overall employment growth. By contrast, the “thinking” industries that typically require a college degree are faring less well. “Information Technology” employment has grown 7% less than overall employment during the last three years, while “Professional Business Services” has grown 4% less. These trends are not outliers. Employment in most professions that require human interaction, like bartending and construction, is growing at above-average rates, while most “thinking” professions are growing at below-average rates. As I said, AI deserves part of the blame. We already know that AI is trimming jobs from many industries, even the very industries that are creating AI. In 2023, Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL) and Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) both laid off more than 10,000 employees. Following those high-profile reductions, U.S. tech companies laid off more than 150,000 employees last year. AI is taking a bite out of employment in many other industries as well. Two weeks ago, Chevron Corp. (CVX) announced it would be trimming 15% to 20% of its workforce – or roughly 6,000 to 8,000 employees. Chevron, like most of the other major oil companies, has developed increasingly sophisticated technologies that are incorporating AI to analyze hydrocarbon deposits, guide drilling decisions, and optimize recovery from each wellhead. At every step of the way, these technologies replace human workers. That’s why it’s so important to prepare for the shift to come. Because as much destruction as AI has and will continue to cause in the workforce, artificial general intelligence (AGI) could eliminate an unprecedented number of jobs. AGI refers to AI technology that has reached human-like intelligence. It has yet to be achieved, but I believe the breakthrough is fast approaching. That is why I began my 1,000-Day Countdown to AGI back in September, which you can learn more about from my free, special broadcast. And when AGI arrives, this time both blue-collar and white-collar workers are set to experience massive job losses and plummeting wages. So, the need to future-proof your finances starts now. The good news is that there’s still time to take advantage of today’s “pre-AGI” stock market. I’ve identified several stocks that are set to benefit from AGI as it radically changes the landscape. They can be found in my special reports: My 3 Top AGI Stocks for 1,000% Gains and The AI Dominators. To learn how to access these reports, click here. And while you future-proof your portfolio, let’s take a look back at what we covered here at Smart Money last week… | 
