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When discussing artificial intelligence and its impact on the job market, a concern naturally arises: to what extent is AI on the verge of "stealing" jobs from humans? Or, on the contrary, could AI actually be beneficial for the workforce?
In this article, we rely on the annual report of the World Economic Forum to provide an overview of the current situation and the challenges ahead.
It is a fact that AI is partially replacing humans in several jobs —administrative assistants, legal secretaries, graphic designers, copywriters, customer service agents, and more. At the very least, AI is taking on a portion of tasks traditionally assigned to these professions.
AI is particularly used for repetitive tasks that lend themselves to automation. Not only is the machine capable of performing these tasks, but it often does so more efficiently than humans.
AI brings notable benefits. When used correctly, it can save time and boost productivity.
From journalism to healthcare, law to engineering, there are very few professions that cannot benefit in some way from artificial intelligence.
However, the line between assistance and replacement can be thin, and the preservation of certain jobs will largely depend on the measures taken to address this issue:
"Without appropriate decision-making frameworks, economic incentive structures and, possibly, government regulations, there remains a risk that technological development will be focused on replacing human work, which could increase inequality and unemployment.” (Future of Jobs Report 2025, p. 11)
The positive counterbalance to AI's impact on the job market is that this technology will also create new jobs.
According to the Future of Jobs Report 2025, trends in AI and information processing technologies are expected to create 11 million jobs by 2030 while simultaneously replacing 9 million others.
Of course, according to this report, most of the jobs created will be directly related to AI itself (p. 38).
Simply put, the advancement of artificial intelligence requires the parallel development of professions dedicated to its management. In fact, technology-related professions are experiencing the highest global growth rate, and employers will increasingly expect their employees to master these tools.
As highlighted in the WEF's annual report, "Comparisons with previous editions of the Future of Jobs Survey reveal a notable shift in skill demands, with technology skills such as AI and big data, networks and cybersecurity, and environmental stewardship showing the largest net increase in the share of respondents identifying them as critical for the next five years.” (The Future of Jobs Report 2025, p. 38)
The rapid emergence and development of these new technologies require both employers and employees to demonstrate great adaptability.
Efforts must be made to integrate these technologies sustainably. To achieve this, their implementation must benefit as many people as possible while minimizing negative effects.
As mentioned earlier, public policies must ensure that AI development does not exacerbate inequalities in the job market.
The major challenge ahead is learning to collaborate with machines. The statistics are clear on this, and we must adapt to this new way of working.
The key issue is maintaining a healthy balance between automation and "augmentation" (collaboration between humans and machines):
"Technology could be designed and developed in a way that complements and enhances, rather than displaces, human work; and […] talent development, reskilling and upskilling strategies may be designed and delivered in a way to enable and optimize human-machine collaboration.” (Idem, p. 27)
Ideally, the focus should be on "augmentation" while ensuring that any automation also includes compensatory measures benefiting workers.
Finally, it will also be essential to ensure that the growing pressure to acquire technological skills does not become overwhelming. Productivity and efficiency depend not only on workers' technical knowledge but also on their human skills and the quality of their work environment.
In this regard, the term "AI anxiety" is already being discussed. A significant number of workers fear that AI will render their jobs obsolete.
This type of stress is clearly undesirable and negatively impacts the productivity of those affected.
Therefore, the integration of AI technologies must be approached with patience and careful consideration, taking into account workers' well-being and the long-term effects of this revolution on the job market.
Photo credit : ©yurakrasil
Passionné par les lettres et la transmission du savoir, j’ai débuté mon parcours en tant qu’assistant au département de littérature française de l’Université de Genève, où j’ai exercé pendant quatre ans. Depuis cinq ans, j’anime une chaîne YouTube dédiée aux sujets culturels et sociaux, gérant l’ensemble du projet, de la conception des contenus à leur diffusion sur les réseaux sociaux, en passant par le montage vidéo. Créatif et rigoureux, je me situe à l’intersection entre culture humaniste et création de contenu, un atout clé pour toute stratégie de communication. Toujours curieux d’échanger et de collaborer, n’hésitez pas à me contacter !
