While you may not be able to outrun AI, you can move with it.
With AI transforming so many jobs, EY’s Joe Depa says adaptability will be the “new job security” in 2026.
“The ability to adapt and change is going to be the most important component,” said Depa, who oversees innovation at the Big Four consulting firm.
The executive, who leads EY’s AI, data, and innovation strategies, told Business Insider that training and upskilling will be the factors that differentiate talent and organizations in the workforce.
He shared three ways he stays current amid rapid changes:
No. 1: Educate yourself
Whether by pursuing a formal education or independent studies, Depa said that ongoing learning is key to staying up-to-date.
Depa said he went back to school to get his Master’s in Analytics from Georgia Tech just a few years ago to learn more about software development, programming, and data science. He said he knew he would be managing data scientists and programmers, and wanted to better understand their perspective. However, since earning his degree in 2020, software development has “completely changed.”
“You’ve got to always be learning and challenging yourself to learn every single day,” Depa said.
To stay current on topics like AI, he said he listens to podcasts and reads articles about the latest news.
Depa isn’t the only leader who carves out regular time for learning new things. Visa’s Oliver Jenkyn recently told Business Insider that he blocks off four hours a week to study a topic he wants to understand, like the technology of stablecoins or the history of the semiconductor industry.
No. 2: Learn from others
Depa said that, in addition to allocating time for individual learning, it’s “critical” to lean on personal mentors.
“All of us should have our own personal advisors — mentors around us that we can call,” Depa said.
The executive pointed to EY’s global AI advisory council, which includes 20 top AI leaders who assist the firm in navigating the AI landscape. The council meets and provides feedback on different plans, Depa said.
“It’s a really nice forum for me to test what’s coming next,” Depa said.
The global chief innovation officer said that having a council of opinions helps him challenge his thinking, but soliciting input from others doesn’t have to be so formal. Having relationships with people with who you can check in with to get different perspectives is “increasingly important,” he said.
No. 3: Apply what you learn
Depa said that while education and learning from others are important, it’s necessary to actually implement those teachings. That could mean vibe coding or creating an application.
“That whole learning experience is going to really help create new brain dynamics for you to learn the next thing and the next thing,” Depa said.
Depa said failure is a natural part of experimenting with tools and putting new ideas to practice. Getting comfortable with that discomfort, he added, helps build a mindset focused on challenging yourself and learning more.
“If you do it enough times, your brain will start to appreciate that process of formal learning, having a team of advisors, and then applying it and learning and growing,” Depa said.
Blackstone CTO John Stecher also emphasized the importance of being hands-on with technology in a recent interview with Business Insider. Stecher said he doesn’t always create something “spectacular,” but he reserves an hour or two each weekend to experiment, whether that’s using Claude to write code that automates his home, or creating a new tool to parse through documents.
“It’s tactile and tangible,” Stecher said.
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