To borrow a word from a Wall Street Journal columnist*, there are parts of the hysteria around AI that can be calmed with perspective, while acknowledging the world as we know it will continue to evolve unpredictably.
Another term, HALO, was coined earlier this month**. HALO refers to companies with “heavy assets, low obsolescence” whose continuous improvement and adaptation make them agile amidst the fast-moving world of AI disruption. In addition, HALO companies are said to have a product or service that is less likely to be replaced by AI. Two companies, among a longer list, are McDonald’s and tractor maker, Deere. Both are perceived to be less likely to experience AI replacing their product or service any time soon.
Think: can AI cook the perfect McDonald’s hamburger for you?? Perhaps…but recall the coffee example back in a late summer edition of TGIF 2 Minutes. Coffee in a basic sense is more…basic. A McDonald’s hamburger and the whole McDonald’s service model involve irreplaceable aspects.
The point is that AI hysteria could currently be considered overdone in terms of leading to imminent job killing Armageddon. Plenty of data exists calling for AI to contribute directly (as it has already) to faster growth and higher productivity. Certain jobs will become obsolete, as has happened over decades of technological advancement. But improvements in productivity do not lead to immediate change. Workers, companies and jobs naturally adapt over time. Yes, hoards of businesses will fundamentally change how they operate but new jobs will develop and be created. New jobs will be part of creating the change.
It is too early to call for the end of employment and the job market as we know it due to AI wiping away human innovation and the ability to for humans to adapt and rise to the occasion. Markets may reflect this dynamic playing out in the months ahead.
*Andy Kessler, “Ignore the AI Hysteria”, The Wall Street Journal. February 22, 2026.
**Sources attribute the coining of the term “HALO companies” either to Josh Brown, CEO of Ritholtz Wealth Management, or to J.P. Morgan.
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