‘Darwinian Moment’ For Employees? Palo Alto CEO Nikesh Arora Says 90% Of Workers Are Not AI-Ready

Artificial intelligence is changing the way people work at a pace few expected. Many professionals are already using AI tools in their day-to-day jobs, but one of the biggest names in cybersecurity believes most employees are still unprepared for what’s ahead. Nikesh Arora, CEO of Palo Alto Networks, has warned of an “AI Darwinian moment” in the workplace, where the ability to learn and adapt could become the biggest factor in long-term career success. According to Arora, about 90% of employees at large companies are not AI-fluent and thus are at risk as companies increasingly adopt AI. His comments were made on the 20VC podcast, according to Fortune.

His remarks come weeks after he said mass layoffs were not the answer to the AI transition, instead calling for slow hiring and reskilling to build an AI-ready workforce.

‘Everybody Has To Figure Out Who’s Really Good’

In a conversation with the 20VC podcast, reported by Fortune, the leader of the over $27 trillion cybersecurity firm Arora emphasised that the biggest challenge is not the technology but whether the employees can keep up with it. “I think we’re back to a Darwinian moment where everybody has to figure out who’s really good.”

He added that formal education alone cannot prepare professionals for the AI era. “[Workers] have to learn. I can’t send them to university; there’s no course you can take in any school anywhere,” he added. “They have to be able to learn on their own.

The head of Palo Alto Networks believes self-learning and constant upskilling will increasingly divide those who thrive from those who struggle in an AI-driven workplace.

Why Palo Alto Is Not Supporting Mass Layoffs

Arora’s remarks come at a moment when many businesses are reshaping their workforce in the face of AI.

A 2025 Orgvue study found 39% of employers have already laid off employees because of AI adoption. Other companies like Coinbase, Block, and Cloudflare also announced layoffs tied to AI.

Speaking about CEOs who chose to aggressively cut staff Arora said, “They’ve figured out there’s no redemption. ‘I can’t train these people, I’m going to just find the people who are going to come in and help me do this stuff.’”

But Palo Alto Networks is taking a different approach.

The company hopes to reshape its workforce through natural attrition, instead of laying off staff. About 2% of the employees are leaving every month, and we are replacing them with professionals who have AI skills, many of whom are being recruited via hackathons.

This strategy could see 20-25% of the company’s workforce transformed in a year, with the aim of making a majority of employees AI-savvy over the next three years, Arora said.

Other Tech Leaders Have Also Raised Similar Concerns

Arora is one of many raising concerns about the impact of AI on jobs.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai has said on multiple occasions that no profession is safe from the disruptions of AI. “People will need to adapt, and then there will be areas where it will impact some jobs. So, as a society, I think we need to be having those conversations.”

He also added, “I think people who learn to adopt and adapt to AI will do better.”

Arora On AI’s Impact On Software

Earlier this year, Arora also addressed concerns that AI could disrupt the software industry itself. “There’s a fear that the software industry is under attack from AI — it will make software easier and faster to build, and therefore reduce the need for traditional software spending. That may be true in some subsectors. If your product is purely analytical that can be recreated easily using AI, there could be disruption. If your system of work can be automated by agents, there is risk.”

He also dismissed any idea that suggested cybersecurity would become obsolete as AI takes over, saying the sector would continue to play a critical role even as automation grows.

India Is Already Embracing AI In The Workplace

Global CEOs are urging employees to acquire AI skills, but adoption in India is already accelerating.

According to the Michael Page Talent Trends 2026 India report, the use of generative AI at work by professionals in India has increased from 47% two years ago to 73%. “The report states that AI is moving from “hype to habit” as it becomes part of everyday work across industries.

In another report, the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) AI at Work 2026 report found that India has emerged as the leading country in the world for workplace AI adoption. The study said 70 per cent of Indian frontline AI users save at least one full workday every week using AI tools. It also said that 96 per cent of users said AI has already changed the skills needed for their jobs.

The report also found that 88% of Indian frontline employees report greater job satisfaction after adopting AI, well above the global average of 57%.

What This Means For Workers In The AI Age

Arora’s message is not just about AI taking jobs. It’s not about workplace expectations but about how fast they are changing.

As companies continue to invest heavily in AI, technical expertise alone may not be enough. Employers are increasingly seeking a key skill of being able to learn new tools and adapt to changing workflows and work with AI. For many professionals, the age of AI is not just about keeping up with technology; it is also about staying relevant in the workplace.

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