What will knowledge work be in 18 months? Look at what AI is doing to coding right now.

The article argues that the five-level framework describing AI's evolution in software engineering—moving from simple autocomplete to an automated "dark factory"—is equally applicable to all knowledge work. As AI advances, the human role will shift from a manual producer of deliverables to a manager or director focused on defining specifications and supervising AI agents. Ultimately, success for future knowledge workers will depend less on execution skills and more on the ability to effectively scope tasks and evaluate outcomes.