In the age of AI, this is what people really think about the future of work

This article is brought to you thanks to the collaboration of The European Sting with the World Economic Forum.

• Artificial Intelligence (AI) is disrupting the workplace, as businesses adopt new AI technologies designed to boost productivity. The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2023 found three-quarters of companies expect to adopt AI and half thought it would create jobs.
• But what do workers think about the transformation and how ready are they to embrace it?
• PwC’s latest Global Workforce Hopes and Fears Survey finds ‘sizeable pockets’ of the global workforce are eager to learn new skills, embrace AI and tackle new challenges.

Have you used generative AI to help you tick off your to-do list today?

Since the launch of ChatGPT-4 in March, more and more companies have been trialling and adopting the latest artificial intelligence tools in search of productivity gains.

Almost 75% of companies surveyed by the World Economic Forum for the Future of Jobs Report 2023 are expected to adopt generative AI – with high churn anticipated as a result.

Around half of these organizations expect AI to create job growth, while 25% expect it to result in job losses.

To harness the potential of AI – and guard against its pitfalls – a huge reskilling effort is underway. Employers estimate that 44% of workers’ skills will be disrupted in the next five years.

Training workers to use AI and big data ranked third among company skills-training priorities in the next five years, according to the Future of Jobs Report – and will be prioritized say 42% of surveyed companies.

But that’s just one side of the conversation – what do workers think about AI disruption and how ready and willing are they to upskill?

Ready player one?

The central challenge facing business leaders today, according to PwC’s Global Workforce Hopes and Fears Survey 2023, is getting buy-in from everyone in the organization to make its reinvention a success.

PwC surveyed more than 54,000 workers in 46 countries and territories and found workers are largely positive about AI despite the job churn it represents.

More than 50% workers chose at least one positive statement about the impact of AI on their career, from increasing productivity to helping them gain new skills. Almost a third of respondents (31%) said: ‘AI will help me increase my productivity/efficiency at work.’

When it comes to the shifting skills landscape, only a third (36%) of respondents strongly or moderately agree that the skills needed to succeed in their job will change significantly over the next five years.

This contrasts with the 44% of employers who told the Forum skills would be disrupted in the next five years, showing the mindset gap around urgency between leaders and employees.

Minding the ‘specialization gap’

Digging deeper into worker perceptions around skilling needs, PwC identified a ‘specialization gap’. Half of those whose jobs require specialist training said the skills needed to do their jobs would change significantly, compared to only 15% of those whose jobs don’t require specialist training.

PwC said this meant those workers who lack specialized training could be “particularly vulnerable to job losses as skills continue to evolve, and as companies augment (or replace) jobs with automation, AI, or both”.

Crucially, workers without specialist training were less likely to say that the more human, soft skills, such as adaptability, critical thinking, and collaboration, would be important to their role in future.

Bringing everyone along on the upskilling journey

Growing skills gaps could further increase economic inequality and also slow down attempts to innovate for companies.

PwC put the responsibility squarely on leaders for bringing everyone along and engaging employees in upskilling.

“C-suite leaders have a responsibility to help create a more equitable future by giving everyone in the organization equal opportunities to upskill and reskill – and provide a clear path forward.”

Transparency and inspiration were key tools for leaders to help in the transformation process.

“As a leader, you must create a narrative around your vision for the future of your organization, and align it with the company’s purpose and mission. Encourage employees to ask questions and get involved, which helps create ownership and inclusion.”

Putting the AI in training

When it comes to AI, employers need to nurture workers’ interest in it, but also communicate the organization’s approach to disruptive technologies and what they mean for jobs.

“Create opportunities for employees to responsibly experiment and explore with AI in their work, with the right guardrails around data access and privacy, copyright protection and other sensitive areas.

“Being transparent and purpose-driven regarding plans and decisions can help employees who are wary of AI – and what it may mean for their jobs – feel more comfortable experimenting with it and even adopting it into their work where appropriate.”

At the same time, strengthening the human skills that AI can’t replicate, as identified by the Forum’s Future of Jobs Report, will be essential.

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