More than 40% of global businesses want to reduce staff because of AI

A survey by the World Economic Forum (WEF) of hundreds of large businesses shows that in the next 5 years, many jobs may be cut due to artificial intelligence.

On January 8, the WEF released its Future of Jobs report. According to it, after surveying hundreds of large businesses globally, they found that from now until 2030, 41% plan to reduce staff as artificial intelligence (AI) takes over some jobs.

In addition, about 77% said they plan to retrain and upskill current workers in 2025-2030 to better work with AI. However, unlike 2023, this year's report no longer states that new technologies, including AI, will "positively impact" the number of jobs.

“Advances in AI and renewable energy will reshape the job market, increasing demand for tech or specialist roles while reducing demand for other occupations, such as graphic design,” the WEF said in a statement. The report was released ahead of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos later this month.

The AI ​​symbol at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai in June 2023. Photo: Reuters

Jobs like postal service clerks, executive assistants, and payroll accountants are among the jobs set to decline the most in the coming years, due to the prevalence of AI and other trends. “For the first time, graphic designers and legal secretaries are among the jobs set to decline the most, suggesting that generative AI is increasingly capable of performing knowledge-based tasks,” the report said.

On the contrary, AI-related skills are increasingly in demand. Nearly 70% of businesses plan to hire new employees with AI tool design skills. 62% plan to increase hiring of employees with better AI skills.

Still, the report is optimistic. The researchers say the main impact of technologies like generative AI on jobs may be to “enhance” human skills through “human-machine collaboration,” rather than replace them entirely. This is especially true given that soft skills remain important.

Still, many workers have been replaced by AI. Over the past few years, major tech companies, such as the data storage service Dropbox and the language learning app Duolingo, have cited artificial intelligence as a reason for laying off employees.