SCOTTSDALE — Cognizant updated its artificial intelligence jobs forecast at Fortune’s COO Summit in Scottsdale, Arizona, in 2026, reporting that 93% of jobs are already AI-capable and 30% face existential change. The projection represents an update from the company’s 2023 estimate that by 2032, 90% of jobs would be affected by generative AI, with about 10% undergoing transformational change.
Ollie O’Donoghue, Cognizant’s head of research, acknowledged the skepticism the company initially encountered. “Everyone thought we were crazy.” He added, “Nobody’s safe.”
According to Cognizant’s analysis, even traditionally hands-on professions like plumbing and electrical work—once seen as insulated from automation—are now subject to AI disruption. A Cognizant report stated, “However, a multimodal reasoning agent today could notice a damp patch on a wall, infer a leaking joint, draft a repair plan and even generate an invoice or parts list.” The report clarified, “The plumber still fixes the pipe, but the inspection, diagnosis and supportive actions that lead up to or follow it can increasingly be assisted by AI.” O’Donoghue elaborated on the evolving role of skilled trades, saying, “You’ll still need someone to turn the wrench, no doubt, but the actual process of plumbing and the value that’s added will change a little bit.”
Sushant Warikoo, Cognizant’s chief business officer of AI, emphasized that artificial intelligence is more likely to reshape work than eliminate it entirely. He argued that job creation will stem from people and businesses learning how to adapt to technological change and reimagine how work gets done. “We believe that it’s going to create and expose new value pools that are not visible to us.” He added, “The 80% left comes from the misprocessed reimagination and the change management that’s needed for an enterprise to truly adopt the technology. This is a big change. It’s an operating model change.”
No independent assessment was available for this report.