Former Meta and Salesforce executive Clara Shih has launched a new nonprofit, the New Work Foundation, and a consumer brand, Dear CC, after leaving Big Tech due to concerns about artificial intelligence displacing entry-level jobs. Shih's decision was prompted by her direct experience witnessing AI agents streamline complex processes, effectively eliminating the need for several junior roles.
While leading Meta's business AI group last fall, Shih observed a product development process that traditionally involved user researchers, designers, product managers, and multiple engineers collapse into a task manageable by one or two individuals using AI. She recounted, "There was this traditional process... We saw all those steps collapse into one or two people being able to ideate in a room, generate the prototype with vibe coding, test it with real users as well as simulated users, and then have a much leaner team of people build that into production." This realization, which she described as "radicalizing," led her to remove entry-level job postings.
Shih's new initiatives aim to help young workers navigate a rapidly changing job market. The New Work Foundation offers free resources, including a podcast featuring hiring managers, a data tool called Field Report that assesses AI exposure in various occupations, and a mentoring app, Game Plan, designed to support rejected job applicants. She noted that the optimistic view of automation freeing workers for higher-order tasks has "primarily not been true."
Shih predicts that one in five corporate roles will be "especially challenged" by AI. She also offers a distinct perspective on the future of legal, marketing, and accounting work, diverging from some industry peers and even her nonprofit advisor, Andrew Yang, on solutions like universal basic income.