The companies leading the AI push are pouring money into the very people many assumed AI would replace. In a new free presentation, Former Pentagon Advisor, Jim Rickards explains why something like this may point to the next chapter of the boom.Washington, D.C., July 14, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- For years now, the story about artificial intelligence has been about what it might do to jobs. Supporters say it will boost productivity, take over repetitive tasks, and help companies run more efficiently. Critics warn it could wipe out millions of jobs. But over the past few weeks, a different storyline has started to surface. According to economist and former government advisor Jim Rickards, some of the world's biggest AI companies are now spending billions to help workers adjust to artificial intelligence, and he unpacks what that means in a new free <a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/Tracker?data=YYYoVINo2Qku-GvFUpMESqjIAw9jA19r7cP6IaJecGvq7lkp2kD68G28PiAYHEWh2I3KM6U0ZMYtnQLgpgbyF2N2SL6BOY8hejdW4lqZ1jPCfGlQz5KQ2djYatIWc94GIhPcYt2Nz-YQvcMEVy_VPj9dEja2cS6qKunDHB49l9Q=" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="">presentation</a>. The spending covers worker training, education programs, research, and efforts built to help employees pick up new skills as AI spreads across the economy. On the surface, it looks strange. If AI is supposed to automate so much work, why are the companies building it spending so heavily on people? Rickards thinks that question is worth sitting with. The Hard Part Isn't the Technology Corporate America has already put hundreds of billions of dollars behind artificial intelligence. Data centers keep growing. Power demand keeps rising. New computing infrastructure is going up around the world. And yet Rickards believes the toughest obstacle may not be the tech at all. It may be people. Companies need employees who actually know how to use AI well. They need workers who can manage systems that are running more and more on their own. They need organizations that can fold the new technology into everyday operations without breaking stride. Without that shift, even the most advanced AI may fall short of the productivity gains investors are banking on. Why This Matters to Investors Rickards believes this points to a real change in the AI story. For most of the past two years, investors zeroed in on bigger models, faster chips, and ever larger spending announcements. Now the conversation is widening. How fast can companies really adopt AI? How long before workers adjust? When do the financial returns actually show up? Those questions may end up mattering as much as the technology itself. Rickards believes investors should watch closely, because today's stock prices assume AI adoption will keep moving at full speed. If that shift takes longer than expected, investors may start rethinking those assumptions. A Date Worth Watching Rickards keeps coming back to the upcoming earnings season, especially the wave of major reports expected around July 29. Many companies are set to share updates on AI spending, customer adoption, operating costs, and what they plan to invest next. Rickards believes those reports could offer real clues about whether businesses are finally seeing meaningful returns on their enormous AI bets. In his view, the thing to watch is how quickly companies can turn all that spending into results that actually last. Inside His Free Presentation Rickards digs into all of this in a new free online <a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/Tracker?data=YYYoVINo2Qku-GvFUpMESsaW6XqOQ6C61iJvm_xNTr6FeF5VSJGAD-ixGWW07Y46qN6tRbRLOeVASNRCwLH9jZ4ulh_vXezXX8Fz1OY56MIr30_0nddDlLHJByj-MQijM91NS_7vsbgsUX7oI9_nZS1EcpipWqqCEo_JsP595BI=" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="">presentation</a>, available for a limited time. He explains why he believes the money behind AI deserves more attention than the technology itself, and why the next few weeks could hand investors important new information about one of Wall Street's favorite bets. You can watch the full presentation online <a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/Tracker?data=mLloaBChPz723_Qg2VN_5Z99XaZz3ZwxGkeOEpUsh-yT1w66vUiM9EMCKE-HQvkTtgCfZ7RX23dpITuEViqdA8AdzmlSERfaBrqtaw1iRNy-0dGUjEMKqyayeOq6QsZi73oc2l9PEKtck9wiaJfbtw==" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="">HERE</a>. About Jim Rickards Jim Rickards is an economist and investment strategist whose work centers on financial crises, capital markets, and systemic risk. Over the course of his career he has advised the U.S. Treasury, the Department of Defense, and the U.S. intelligence community on financial and economic matters. He now spends his time studying the trends and shifts most likely to move the global economy. Paradigm Press publishes independent financial research for a wide readership across the United States and holds a 4.8 star rating on Google from more than 1,900 reviews. Its focus is on helping ordinary Americans make sense of the forces that shape their money. <pre>CONTACT: Derek Warren
Public Relations Manager
Paradigm Press Group
Email: dwarren@paradigmpressgroup.com</pre> <img alt="" src='https://ml.globenewswire.com/media/YWJkNzBlMDEtYjZhMS00MDM5LWE0YWMtMGE3ODZjYzYzMDBhLTUwMDEzMjAwNy0yMDI2LTA3LTE0LWVu/tiny/Ex-CIA-Jim-Rickards.png' referrerpolicy='no-referrer-when-downgrade' />

AI Was Supposed to Replace Workers. So Why Are Companies Spending Billions on Them?

Latest news from the world of business and finance – both local and global

MONEY FM 89.3 is Singapore's first and only Business and Personal Finance station, featuring local and international business and financial news.

MONEY FM 89.3

Discover newsletters from our DJs on LinkedIn