For me to compete in the workplace, whether as an employee or business owner, I have to be able to bring value at the personal level
Exactly this! I've already been through four careers in my 20-odd years of employment and I'm absolutely dumbfounded by the amount of opportunity available now. I would like to believe I am a quick learner, but as I compare myself to the younger and more technologically inclined workforce, I realize I have a lot of new ground to cover.
However, I do think I would fit nicely in several of those new-world AI roles, but it will definitely take some re-education on my part. At least I am up for the challenge, I know plenty of other peers who are not. What I'm not ready for is to take on new student loan debt, that is just unsustainable. But I would commit to working for a company on a 5-year contract in AI if they took the time to provide me with some education along the way.
And just to touch on the other issue, I think eventually universal basic income will be needed. If we have all this amazing technology that will replace the need for humans to do menial tasks, it is unfair for the top few percent to hoard that technological wealth themselves. There needs to be some equitable system to allow for people without the means to learn the technology to have basic human needs met - ultimately this will be the pressing challenge of this century. Can the elites be bothered to share the profits of technological advancement with the wider society or hoard all the success for themselves? I certainly hope it is the former because once too many people are without jobs and anything to do, the only thing left to do is revolt and I'd rather not have to live through that in my 50s and 60s when I should be getting ready to retire.