Sad Survey Reveals 41% Of Employers Plan To Replace Workers With AI By 2030

A recent World Economic Forum (WEF) survey reveals that 41% of employers are planning to lay off workers and replace them with AI by 2030. The January 2025 edition of the Future of Jobs Report surveyed over 1,000 employers, representing 14 million workers in 22 industries and 55 economies. In this extensive survey, 41% of employers reported plans to replace their employees with AI.

A major reason attributed to the expected decline is the modification in skills required by employers due to AI advancements. The WEF reports that 39% of workers must upgrade their skills or risk becoming outdated. To put this in perspective, "If the world’s workforce was made up of 100 people, 59 would need training by 2030. Of these, employers foresee that 29 could be upskilled in their current roles and 19 could be upskilled and redeployed elsewhere within their organization. However, 11 would be unlikely to receive the reskilling or upskilling needed, leaving their employment prospects increasingly at risk."

Since the release of ChatGPT in November 2022, many new sectors have invested massively in GenAI, using it to improve efficiency and reduce task time. As AI and information processing technologies continue to advance, opportunities in technology-related roles are expanding quickly.  The WEF reveals that "technology-related roles are the fastest growing jobs in percentage terms including Big Data Specialists, FinTech Engineers, GenAI, and Machine Learning Specialists," which are among the fastest growing. 

While these innovations will likely make work easier or more efficient in many cases, it's bad news for some. According to the report, clerical and secretarial jobs will face the biggest decline. The report highlights that roles such as postal service clerks and bank tellers will experience a decline. Even jobs that experts previously considered safe are now at risk. For instance, while graphic designers were among the fastest-growing jobs in the 2023 edition of the Future Of Jobs Report, this latest update now lists them among the fastest-declining roles. The ever-rising capacity of generative AI (GenAI) to perform knowledge work threatens graphic designers' jobs. 

While the report is depressing for workers in the affected fields, it still provides relief as it mentions that non-technology-related skills are highly valued.  According to the report, "analytical thinking remains the top core skill for employers, with seven out of 10 companies considering it as essential. This is followed by resilience, flexibility and agility, along with leadership and social influence." Only those open to upskilling and reskilling will remain a valuable asset in their workplace according to the report.