10+ Million Jobs Gone in 5 Years—Direct Selling Can Offer A Lifeline
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Few things bring about stronger opinions than the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI). For some people, AI is a time saver that automates tedious tasks like tracking financial accounts, editing photos or creating meal plans for a busy work week. For others, AI is a looming threat that symbolizes an erosion of privacy and the erasure of middle-class workers.
Subtly and over time, AI has become a critical part of day-to-day life. For more than a decade, GPS mapping systems have shown drivers the way home and recalculated routes when traffic or construction sent them on a wayward path; weather apps have instructed travelers what to pack for vacation; backgrounds on Zoom have protected remote workers from having their messy living rooms on display; and Spotify algorithms have introduced younger generations to classic rock. AI has been and continues to be steadily woven into the tapestry of daily life.
In recent years, however, AI has progressively leveled up to include robots that streamline assembly lines, chatbots that replace customer service call centers and tools like ChatGPT that have the capacity to fulfill tasks that once required highly skilled and highly educated operators. AI is no longer a novelty or a sci-fi prediction for the distant future. It’s here, and it’s a rapidly iterating, consistent presence that will only become an even greater part of everyday life.
What was once primarily generative AI, meaning prompt-based content creation, has swiftly been innovated with agentic AI, which can make autonomous decisions based on multi-layered data sets, bringing a new era of instant gratification to the workplace. Need a new banner image for a website? ChatGPT can create one. Tired of taking notes in meetings? Otter.ai can automate summaries and create action items. What were once lengthy, multi-step team processes are now streamlined into one-click actions with rapid results. All of this optimization, however, has led some opponents to ask: at what cost?
In 2023, Forresters released a report stating that generative AI was expected to replace 2.4 million US jobs by 2030, most of which would be white collar occupations that could easily be automated. With the introduction of agentic AI, that number will inevitably spike even further.
For middle-class workers, the cost of this AI revolution—at least in the short-term—will be steep. Earlier this year, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff announced that AI was already doing up to 50 percent of the work performed by his company. A similar shift has been happening across industries as Klarna and IBM reportedly replaced hundreds of their customer service and human resource representatives with AI. Other companies, like UPS, couch the use of AI in language that says they aren’t directly replacing workers, but rather adopting AI-driven tools to trim costs.
A New Path Forward for Professionals
As more educated, ambitious and driven professionals become displaced by the proliferation of AI automation, these bright people will be looking for new opportunities where they can utilize their people skills and chart their own course. Many will be starting over, looking for a career that will value what they have to offer. One that won’t be suddenly rendered obsolete by technology.
It is at this crossroads where direct selling—an industry built on human connection—has the potential to not only meet an urgent societal need but also benefit from momentum within an entirely new category of prospective distributors and customers.
This is the “other opportunity” presented by AI that direct selling is uniquely positioned to embrace by providing a space for people who are hungry for both community and new income opportunities.
As Stuart Johnson, Founder and CEO of Direct Selling News explained, “We always talk about how AI can positively impact our businesses—and we definitely need to have those conversations. But what I think is a big miss for direct selling currently is what we can do for people who have been negatively impacted by this technology. As a channel, direct selling can offer a fresh start to people who have lost their jobs and need a new professional home. An opportunity for everyone—that’s what we’ve always been. It’s what we do better than anyone else. Direct selling has a heart. AI does not.”
The Energy Behind AI Fatigue
The tangible alternative of an opportunity based in heart, connection and community is gaining real traction in this moment due to the invasive proliferation of AI. Although this technology is not new—the fear of losing your job because of it is a relatively recent phenomenon. People are overwhelmed, confused and more than a little apprehensive about what AI will mean for their lives and livelihoods.
This has resulted in a growing sense of AI fatigue. A recent Forbes article noted that “AI fatigue is real,” with individuals feeling bombarded by the constant influx of AI technologies and the pressure to adapt to them. Similarly, Technopedia reported that nearly half of AI initiatives fail after the proof-of-concept stage, creating disillusionment and fatigue for employees and stakeholders.
Since the pandemic, people have reported feeling isolated from one another as the lack of connection COVID forced upon us has increasingly become a new, regrettable norm. Experts warn that over reliance on AI can exacerbate those feelings of loneliness and isolation. So, while we are more connected digitally than ever before, we are becoming increasingly isolated in our personal lives. People crave connection. They want something real—something like direct selling.
A Brookings article emphasized the importance of human relationships and cautioned against replacing them with AI, stating that “no matter how good the AI, there is no human relationship when one half of the encounter is a machine.”
The challenge lies in finding a balance between leveraging AI’s capabilities and maintaining meaningful relationships. As AI continues to permeate all aspects of life, it’s crucial to be mindful of its impact on social interactions and to prioritize genuine face-to-face, belly-to-belly human engagement as much as possible.
Meeting Hardship with Opportunity
This is where direct selling is poised to shine. As people endure layoffs, financial hardships and a sense of inauthenticity stemming from this AI tumult, the need for community and opportunity will be more important than ever before. If done well, direct selling’s social nature, person-to-person communication and human touch can stand out as a beacon in a sea of artifice.
AI itself is not the problem—artificial intelligence is the new language of commerce, and companies need to be fluent—but there is a way to honor the humanity of a workforce while harnessing the potential and power of AI. For direct selling leaders, whose longevity and profit margins depend on the health of its community, operating within this framework will be critical to creating a home that welcomes those displaced by AI while remaining technologically relevant.
In a high-tech world where almost everyone is siloed behind their own screens, building community through shared experiences will be the defining factor that draws those displaced by AI to a new opportunity.
Counteracting the isolating effects of AI is now direct selling’s newest superpower, arming a new generation of entrepreneurs with the tools they need to feel included while making supplemental income.
People will always crave connection, and while AI will be a critical component of success for any company moving forward, maintaining a focus on interpersonal communication, investing in authentic relationships and consistently engaging with customers and team members can only set the channel apart.
This isn’t a fork in the road. The path forward is not choosing AI or people—it’s choosing both. The companies that will thrive are those that prioritize innovation without losing sight of humanity. Direct selling’s foundation in authentic relationships and community-driven purpose offers a compelling counterbalance to the sterile efficiency of AI.
As Johnson explained, “The uncomfortable truth about AI is that it’s going to take tens of millions of jobs. The good news is that as direct sellers, millions of those people are going to be looking for a place to earn extra money.”
As the workforce continues to evolve, the channel has a unique opportunity to be both refuge and launchpad—a place where displaced professionals can rediscover value, purpose and connection. In an environment characterized by automation, direct selling’s deeply human approach may prove to be not only relevant, but essential.
The Community-First AI Blueprint
Reaching out to professionals displaced by AI and encouraging them to become a part of direct selling is a no-brainer. But how do we increase our corporate employees’ comfort level with the technology? Here are a few tips.
Create an AI-Ready Culture
People are afraid that they will be automated out of a job. That fear is understandable, so companies should empower people to use AI to amplify what they are already doing. Being open and transparent about AI usage and expectations eliminates silos and enhances communal creativity. Teams need to know how to use AI to stay relevant and efficient. Start small and then scale with intention.
Personalize with Predictive and Prescriptive AI
Personalization has long been a selling point within the direct sales model. With predictive AI, direct selling brands can offer that customization on an even greater level by utilizing customer data to solve problems before they happen. Predictive models can create personalized offers; flag when a distributor needs additional support; and manage inventory levels. Prescriptive AI can automate those solutions.
Maintain the Human Focus
AI should never replace communications with customers, but it can provide assistance when team leaders or corporate offices are unavailable. AI-assisted shopping can walk customers through an entire shopping experience. For brands with massive product portfolios, having a tool integrated within the website itself to answer product-related questions and make recommendations is game changing. The key is to utilize AI to enhance interpersonal communication, not replace it.
Deliver Training and Tools that Make Life Simpler
In an increasingly regulated industry, sending thousands of distributors out into the world to teach and coach is a recipe for compliance disasters. But today, AI can not only provide internet-wide monitoring to make sure noncompliant messaging is addressed, it can also prevent it from happening altogether. The key is to not only offer these tools to distributors, but to train them on how to best leverage the technology.
Prioritize Analog Experiences
AI can deliver metrics and help leaders get to know the people in their organizations through gathered data, but this information is only as powerful as authentic in-person connections allow for. Presence matters more than productivity. When possible, take meetings offline; prioritize in-person events; and cultivate opportunities for connection through service days, sports leagues and communal meals.
From the September/October 2025 issue of Direct Selling News magazine.
