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Fobo, the 40-something working professional’s new anxiety

Companies must focus on hands-on, digestible training instead of long milestone courses.

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When mastery of your job is elusive and past experience feels more like a liability than an asset, the anxiety of obsolescence becomes real.

When mastery of your job is elusive and past experience feels more like a liability than an asset, the anxiety of obsolescence becomes real.

PHOTO: ST FILE

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If you’ve seen that viral demo of

China’s AI agent Manus

from March, you might have felt both awe at the power of artificial intelligence and a creeping sense of Fobo – the fear of becoming obsolete.

Manus was impressive. It screened job candidates, generated shortlists of property listings tailored to buyers, and executed diverse tasks with extraordinary speed and precision – capabilities that could challenge human professionals in recruitment and real estate.

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