Lately, I’ve been asking myself a difficult question: What if my job is replaced by AI, as so many already have been? At times, this thought has kept me awake at night. But instead of letting fear consume me, I chose to act.
I began imagining what a typical workday might look like in 2035—and more importantly, what role AI would play in it. The truth is clear: AI is no longer a distant future; it is today’s reality. We cannot avoid it. The only choice is to embrace it, learn from it, and shape its use—before it reaches a stage where it begins to shape us.
So, I partnered with AI itself to co-think what our collaboration could look like.
As a humanitarian leader, I asked: How can AI and I work together in shaping the future of leadership and crisis response?
Here’s the glimpse I see.
1. Morning – Strategic Clarity Before Breakfast!
I wake up to my AI personal advisor—a voice companion tuned to my values and leadership style. Overnight, it has analyzed satellite data, community reports, and political shifts in South Sudan. It greets me:
“Shabnam, food insecurity hotspots have shifted by 3% in Jonglei due to unexpected rainfall. Here are three scenarios, with recommended actions for the next 72 hours.”
Instead of scanning hundreds of pages, I sip my morning coffee while reflecting on strategy and ethics. What does this mean for communities, partners, and donors?
2. Midday – Leading with AI Support!
In my office—or virtual command hub—I open a holomap dashboard with live updates from refugee camps, markets, and conflict zones. AI proposes three aid distribution plans, ranked by speed, cost, and equity.
I reject the most “efficient” option because it disadvantages remote women-led households. My human judgment keeps the work people-centered.
Meanwhile, my AI “chief of staff” has already drafted emails to the UN and donors with the adjusted plan, waiting only for my approval.
3. Afternoon – Team & Community Engagement
I attend a virtual listening circle with women leaders in remote villages. AI translates their dialects instantly, but only I can provide empathy, laughter, and trust. Here, AI connects—but humanity bonds.
4. Evening – On the Global Stage
I join a global humanitarian summit in Geneva—via holographic presence.
AI supplies real-time briefing cards in my peripheral vision, ensuring I never miss a fact or trend. Yet the spotlight remains on me: my storytelling, conviction, and values. Data cannot inspire; only people can.
I argue passionately that humanitarian action must remain people-led, not machine-led. The audience is moved not by algorithms, but by authenticity.
5. Night – Reflection & Balance
I don’t recall dashboards or models. I recall a smile from a displaced child whose school reopened. That single moment gives meaning to all the data-driven clarity AI provided.
By 2035, my job hasn’t been replaced—it’s been elevated.
#LeadershipDiary