Future of Jobs Report 2025

tools, with the majority of examined skills (69%) determined to have either “very low capacity” or “low capacity” to be substituted, indicating that GenAI currently remains limited in performing tasks that require physical execution, nuanced judgment or hands-on application. Skills rooted in human interaction – including empathy and active listening, and sensory processing abilities – and manual dexterity, endurance and precision, currently show no substitution potential due to their physical and deeply human components. These findings underscore the practical limitations of current GenAI models, which lack the physicality to perform tasks that require hands-on interaction – although advances in robotics and the integration of GenAI into robotic systems could impact this in the future. Where GenAI demonstrates higher substitution potential is in skills that can be effectively performed by leveraging theoretical knowledge alongside digital manipulation. These include granular skills within AI and big data, such as data mining and machine learning applications. Furthermore, GenAI shows strengths in reading, writing, and mathematics, and multi-lingualism, where it can assist in summarizing complex information, drafting text, performing calculations, and translation. Notably, more than one-quarter (28.5%) of the more than 2,800 granular skills examined currently exhibit a moderate capacity of substitution, highlighting areas where, as the technology continues to evolve, its capacity of substitution could increase in the near future. These findings highlight the potential of GenAI for augmenting human work through human-machine collaboration, rather than fully replacing it in most areas. Skills requiring nuanced understanding, complex problem-solving or sensory processing show limited current risk of replacement by GenAI, affirming that human oversight remains crucial even in areas where GenAI can provide assistance. For employers, these insights emphasize the need for training and upskilling initiatives that focus on both advanced prompt-writing skills and broader GenAI literacy. Low capacity Very low capacity Moderate capacity High capacity100 Share of all granular skills within each skill group (%)40 60 80 100 20 20 40 0 60 80Current capacity for substitution by Generative AI, by skill group FIGURE B3.1 Source Indeed analysis; World Economic Forum, Global Skills Taxonomy. Note No skills have been rated with “very high capacity” for substitution.Capacity of GenAI substituting a human in performing a given skill as a percentage share of all granular skills within each skill group. Analysis based on GPT-4o, with over 2800 granular skills from the Indeed database as of August 2024. Artificial intelligence and big data Reading, writing and mathematics Marketing and media Systems thinking Multi-lingualism Programming Financial management Dependability and attention to detail Curiosity and lifelong learning Technology literacy Design and user experience Quality management Operations and logistics Networks and cybersecurity Leadership and social influence Talent management Analytical thinking Service orientation and customer service Global citizenship Resilience, flexibility and agility Teaching, mentoring, and coaching Creative thinking Environmental stewardship Manual dexterity, endurance and precision Empathy and active listening Sensory-processing abilities 44