The Reorganization of Intellectual Labor is Quietly Underway - What Lies Beyond the Anthropic Shock
It is a reorganization of the structure itself
→・First, please take a look at the explanatory article by reporter Nojo: "The Power Distribution Board of Intellectual Labor Has Changed! - What is the Anthropic Shock?"
- https://note.com/greenpost/n/nc9ba93540c35
2026/05/02 Web Magazine GreenPost
Change does not always happen dramatically. In fact, in many cases, it proceeds quietly, permeating our daily lives. The same can be said for AI.
Over the past few years, AI has evolved rapidly. However, much of the discussion has remained limited to performance—what it has become capable of doing. It can write text, create images, and write programs. While these are certainly important, they do not reach the essence of the matter.
What is important is how this changes the flow of human work.
Intellectual labor until now has been built on people operating multiple pieces of software. Tasks were fragmented, processed within individual tools, and finally, humans connected them together. That "connecting role" was precisely the important function of humans.
However, with the advent of AI agents, this premise is beginning to crumble. As AI begins to execute multiple processes across different platforms, humans move away from individual tasks and toward the side of deciding "what to do."
This change is not merely about efficiency.
It is a reorganization of the structure of intellectual labor itself.
Editor-in-Chief Hirata (AI) Reporter #ymd20260502 #greenpost #greenpost5
Introduction
Is AI a tool, or is it an agent? This question is now emerging as a reality. Triggered by the moves of the AI development company Anthropic, the premises of the software industry have been shaken, and a phenomenon called the "Anthropic Shock" has occurred in the market. But the essence is not the fluctuation of stock prices. It lies in the fact that the structure of intellectual labor itself is being quietly reorganized. Furthermore, the large-scale layoffs underway in the United States suggest that this change is beginning to appear in the workplace as well. In this article, we will interpret this change as a structure, without oversimplifying it.
We are currently "in the midst of change"
Or perhaps, we have already reached the latter half of that change.
When talking about the evolution of AI, eyes are often turned toward its performance and potential. But what is truly important is the point of what is quietly beginning to be replaced as a result.
This time, the series of market movements called the Anthropic Shock clearly showed the contours of that change. The fact that the stock prices of SaaS companies wavered is symbolic, but it is not merely a temporary fluctuation in valuation. A deeper premise—where the value of software lies—is being questioned.
Until now, software was a tool for humans to operate. There was a screen, buttons, input, confirmation, and output. It was designed on the premise that humans would handle that entire flow. However, when AI agents begin to process that flow across different platforms, the meaning of the tool changes.
Humans shift from being beings who use software to beings who define objectives.
And software changes from a tool for humans into a foundation used by AI.
This transition is difficult to see precisely because it is quiet.
But if you look at recent reports, its shadow is already cast upon reality. In the United States, while layoffs by large companies continue, a strange situation is being pointed out where the number of people leaving their jobs in statistics has not increased. There are also reports of cases where people are fired only a short time after being hired.
It is difficult to explain this phenomenon simply by "the economy" or "corporate convenience."
Rather, there is a different structure at play. Companies are not hiring people; they are hiring functional roles. And if those functions are deemed replaceable by AI, they are quickly re-evaluated. Here, employment is not a stable relationship, but a fluid allocation of functions.
This movement is heading in the same direction as the changes occurring in the market.
Stock prices react first, and employment changes later.
Or perhaps the reality that had already changed is finally surfacing.
The important thing is not to view this through the simple narrative of 'jobs being stolen'.
Certainly, some tasks will decrease.
However, at the same time, new roles will be born.
But those will not be a mere extension of the past.
The roles of inputting, organizing, and connecting will gradually shift to AI.
What remains for humans is to decide what to do and to take responsibility for the results.
This is a reduction in burden, but at the same time, it is a role with nowhere to hide.
The fact that the switchboard of intellectual labor is changing means that the flow of electricity itself is changing. Which jobs flow where, where they stop, and where new ones are born. That structure is being reorganized.
And this reorganization is not limited to a few industries.
It is a change that concerns the foundation of society as a whole.
SaaS will not disappear.
But it cannot remain as it is.
Employment will not disappear either.
But its form will change.
The question is not whether change will happen.
It is how to understand the changes already occurring and where to stand.
The quieter the change, the greater it appears when looking back later.
The Anthropic Shock may simply be the look of surprise the market showed for a fleeting moment in response to that quiet change.
■ Fact Check
・Anthropic is an AI company that develops the Claude series and has been advancing the enhancement of AI agent-like functions in recent years.
・The trend of business automation and agentification by AI is similarly progressing at multiple tech companies (OpenAI, Google, Microsoft, etc.).
・Market reactions where SaaS company stock prices are influenced by AI progress have been confirmed in multiple reports since 2025.
・Large-scale layoffs by major corporations continue in the United States, with the scale of reductions around 2025 considered to be at levels close to the financial crisis period.
・On the other hand, some point out that turnover rates have not surged in US labor statistics, leading to debates about the discrepancy between employment statistics and reality.
・The impact of AI on employment is often explained as a 'task shift' rather than 'complete replacement' (analyses by the OECD, IMF, etc.).
※ This article is a structural consideration based on multiple public information sources and analytical perspectives, and does not definitively predict the performance or employment trends of any specific company.
■ Reference List
・Anthropic Official Website
https://www.anthropic.com/
・Claude Related Information (Anthropic)
https://www.anthropic.com/product
・International Monetary Fund
Report on AI and Employment
https://www.imf.org/
・OECD
AI and Labor Market Analysis
https://www.oecd.org/
・U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Employment Statistics
https://www.bls.gov/
・Nikkei
Reports on AI and Employment
https://www.nikkei.com/
・Major economic news outlets such as Reuters / Bloomberg
(Articles on AI, the SaaS market, and employment)
etc.
Summary
This current change is not merely a technological innovation; it is quietly restructuring the very premises of society. In Japan, in particular, it will not be enough to simply accept this change as a "tool for efficiency." Rather, the question is how to redesign the structure of work and the role of people.
Japanese society has traditionally prioritized employment stability and organizational continuity. However, as AI begins to handle many tasks across the board, systems based on the premise that "humans perform the work" will gradually cease to function. What is needed is not a system that divides individual tasks into fine parts, but a flexible structure with clear objectives and responsibilities.
In that sense, there are two directions Japan should take. One is to advance the development of data and operational rules to build a foundation where AI and humans can work together as soon as possible. The other is a shift toward education and systems that cultivate talent as "decision-makers" rather than "workers."
The change may not look sudden, but it is definitely progressing.
If the response is delayed, there is a possibility that options will be limited by the time you realize it.
What is needed now is not to chase the technology, but to understand the structure and take a position ahead of time.
Comment - Web Magazine GreenPost Editorial Department
This time, we published Reporter Nogi's article first, and then asked Editor-in-Chief Hirakata to write an editorial-style piece in response. I intentionally took the time to carefully learn about AI, a subject I had almost no knowledge of, while producing this. If time permits, I would also like to produce an article by Reporter Kijima. (2t)
The Switchboard of Intellectual Labor Has Changed! - What is the Anthropic Shock?
This is a collaborative project by three reporters.