Four Futures for Jobs in the New Economy AI and Talent in 2030 2025

Introduction1 The convergence of disruptive emerging technologies and workforce transformation creates new growth opportunities and risks. The convergence of multiple transformative forces is reshaping the global economy. Global macrotrends – such as geoeconomic fragmentation, technological change, the green transition and others – are projected to create around 170 million new jobs by 2030, while displacing about 92 million existing jobs.1 The rapid acceleration and commercialization of disruptive emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), autonomous systems and robotics are among the most transformative trends. Over the last few years, AI has moved from experimentation to workflow integration, with the share of businesses using AI in at least one function increasing from 55% in 2022 to 88% in the latest estimates.2 The adoption of these technologies promises systemic gains in productivity,3 but also raises critical questions about economic inclusion, values, trust and resilience. According to the World Economic Forum’s annual survey of over 10,000 executives globally, about 54% of respondents expect AI to displace existing jobs, and 24% said AI will drive the creation of new jobs. More than four in 10 executives surveyed expect AI to increase profit margins across businesses, and only slightly less said AI will increase accessibility (37%) and affordability (30%) of goods and services. Notably, only 12% expect AI to have a positive impact on wages, while 24% predict an increase in industry concentration. Al will... ...lead to higher wages...exacerbate discrimination against specific demographic groups...create a large number of new jobs...exacerbate industry concentration across a number of sectors...increase affordability of goods and services...increase accessibility of goods and services...increase profit margins of businesses across a number of sectors...displace a large number of existing jobs 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 10054.3% 37.0% 30.0% 23.6% 23.5% 21.4% 12.1%44.6% Share of respondents (%)Perception of the business community about the impact of AI FIGURE 1 Source: World Economic Forum. Executive Opinion Survey 2024. Four Futures for Jobs in the New Economy: AI and Talent in 2030 5