The consensus at CES 2026 was clear: Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly reshaping technology and the global workforce at an unprecedented speed and scale. This transformative impact was a central theme during a live taping of the *All-In podcast* on Tuesday, where co-host Jason Calacanis interviewed Bob Sternfels, Global Managing Partner of McKinsey & Company, and Hemant Taneja, CEO of General Catalyst. Their discussion delved into how AI is fundamentally altering investment strategies and the very nature of work.

Hemant Taneja highlighted the astonishing growth of AI companies, remarking,

“The world has completely changed.”
He pointed out that while it took Stripe approximately 12 years to achieve a $100 billion valuation, Anthropic, a General Catalyst portfolio company, surged from $60 billion last year to “a couple hundred billion dollars” this year. Taneja confidently predicted the emergence of a new wave of trillion-dollar companies, stating,
“That’s not a pie-in-the-sky idea with Anthropic, OpenAI, and a couple of others.”

Calacanis pressed the executives on the drivers behind this explosive growth. According to McKinsey’s Bob Sternfels, while many companies are actively testing AI products, non-tech enterprises remain hesitant about full-scale adoption. Sternfels revealed a common dilemma faced by CEOs consulting McKinsey:

“Do I listen to my CFO or my CIO right now?”
CFOs, observing minimal immediate return on investment, often advocate for delaying implementation. Conversely, CIOs argue that failing to adopt AI would be “crazy” due to the imminent threat of disruption.

AI's Impact on the Labor Force and Lifelong Learning

Another critical area of discussion centered on AI’s profound impact on the labor force. Calacanis acknowledged widespread concerns, stating,

“Some people are looking at AI and they’re scared,”
particularly regarding the potential for AI to displace entry-level jobs typically filled by recent graduates. He sought advice from Sternfels and Taneja for young people navigating this evolving landscape.

Sternfels emphasized that while AI models can handle numerous tasks, human skills such as sound judgment and creativity remain indispensable for success in an AI-driven world. Taneja underscored the necessity of viewing “skilling and re-skilling” as a lifelong commitment.

“This idea that we spend 22 years learning and then 40 years working is broken,”
he asserted, signaling the end of the “learn once, work forever” era. Calacanis concurred, noting that in a world where an AI agent might be developed faster than a new worker can be trained, individuals must actively seek ways to stay relevant.
“To stand out, you’re going to have to show chutzpah, drive, passion,”
he advised.

Sternfels offered a glimpse into McKinsey’s own future workforce strategy. He anticipates that by the end of 2026, the firm will have as many “personalized” AI agents as human employees. However, he clarified that this does not necessarily mean a decrease in overall headcount. Instead, McKinsey is strategically shifting its workforce composition, projecting a 25% increase in client-facing roles while reducing back-office positions by the same percentage.