Attending Web Summit Vancouver this year felt like a foreshadowing of the future.

The buzzword was AI, of course, but beyond the hype and headlines, there was an underlying sense of fear and urgency around how fast AI might replace people in the workforce.

However, having spent the last 10 years as an HR operator and advisor to early-stage startups, I walked away from the summit with the confirmation that AI isn’t a threat, it’s a catalyst. And those who undermine it will be left behind quickly. 

Here are a few takeaways that HR leaders, startup founders and businesses need to pay attention to. Not in 2030, not next year — now.

1.⁠ ⁠Smaller, yet smarter teams

One of the most striking insights came from Bluesky CEO Jay Graber’s opening keynote. Her decentralized social platform, on track to become the next Twitter and already at 35 million users, operates with a team of less than 50 people.

Enabled by AI and automation, startups are proving you don’t need a massive headcount to scale. You need a lean, efficient team equipped with the right systems and tools.

2.⁠ ⁠Fractional gives you access to quality

When talking to founders at meetups and strolling through the exhibit hall, I kept noticing a pattern: nearly everyone was either building an AI agent or offering fractional services.

From HR to legal to growth marketing, highly skilled professionals are now working across multiple companies at once as in-house part-time team members.

We’re entering a “fracty” workforce era, where multi-company, globally distributed teams are the new normal. This offers time and location flexibility for individuals and access to expert talent for companies at a fraction of the cost.

3.⁠ ⁠You’ll hire people AND their AI

One of my favourite sessions was “How to Hire Like It’s 2030.” Andrew McLeod, CEO of Certn, believes that soon enough, recruiters won’t just assess candidates, but candidates and their AI. What tools have they trained? How do their AI assistants enhance their work? 

The resume is being redefined. Soon, it won’t be enough to say “proficient in ChatGPT.” You’ll need to show how your AI assistant helps you stand out and why it makes you the best fit for the job.

4. QA and prompting is the new Excel

Remember when Excel formulas and pivot tables were must-have skills? Gary Marcus, CEO of Geometric Intelligence, kicked off Web Summit by challenging our assumptions about AI, making a point “to not trust it blindly.” Being a great AI user today means knowing how to debug, verify, and improve its output.

We’re now entering an era where QA, debugging, and prompt engineering are core competencies for any job. The question won’t be who uses AI, but who uses it well.

5.⁠ ⁠HR needs to evolve, fast

This one was an uncomfortable realization for me. While “people” were at the centre of most talks, HR professionals were missing from the conversation. Speakers on the future of work and its evolution were VCs and founders. This has to change.

The next generation of HR professionals must “speak tech.” They need to understand systems implementation, AI tooling, how to engage technical talent, and know how to design organizations and cultures that thrive in a hybrid physical/digital world.

In conclusion, AI is not the future of work, it’s what will enable us, the human workforce, beyond our current limits. Web Summit Vancouver made this very clear.

Whether someone uses AI is no longer the question. It is assumed, invisible, woven into everything we do. The real question is whether our culture, systems, and people are ready for a world where work is not replaced, but radically enhanced by AI.

If you are a founder, HR leader, or operator, do not wait for 2030. Start redesigning your workflows, reskilling your teams, and integrating AI in ways that empower, NOW. The shift is not coming, it is already here. Don’t be a passive observer and watch it happen.

Virginia Campo is founder of FractyPeople.