The rise of artificial intelligence is already reshaping the global workforce, with experts warning that the ability to build skills such as judgment, empathy, adaptability and digital literacy will be essential to avoid being left behind.
As the technology evolves in waves, from automation to generative AI, agentic systems and eventually artificial general intelligence, millions risk losing their income and also their sense of purpose and identity.
Maha Hosain Aziz, professor at New York University and a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Foresight Network, warned that the world rarely considers the broader social consequences of this disruption.
“We rarely connect the dots to what happens next – when millions lose not just income, but the anchor that work provides,” she wrote on the World Economic Forum’s platform.
“What happens when our education or years of work experience don’t matter as much any more? Many may face a grim choice: scramble to 'learn AI' to stay relevant – or drift into a new class, uncertain where they can fit in the AI economy.”
Ms Aziz outlined four waves of disruption, including traditional automation replacing routine jobs and generative AI transforming content creation and knowledge work.
Agentic AI is taking on multi-step tasks in areas such as HR, market research and IT, with the potential to replace midlevel managers.
By 2030, the world could see the rise of artificial general intelligence capable of most cognitive tasks.
“Each wave will displace another segment of the global working population,” Ms Aziz said.
“The challenge isn’t just how to re-employ people, but how to help them adapt to a future where their previous skills or identities may no longer be relevant. In a way, we’ve seen this before.”
She proposed two ideas: precariat labs, which are cross-sector hubs where governments, companies and civil society can test interventions for those at risk of AI-driven job loss, including retraining and mental health support.
She said there could also be a reimagined universal basic income focused on purpose, designed to restore belonging and meaning through civic projects and skill-sharing networks.
“The AI precariat may not make headlines like billion-dollar chip deals or breakthrough models,” she said.
“But it will shape the political, social, economic and security terrain of the next decade. If we want AI to be remembered as a tool for human flourishing, rather than mass alienation, we must start planning, not just for the jobs AI will create – but for the dreams it might erase.”
The UAE’s Human-Centered Approach
Nevin Lewis, chief executive at Black & Grey HR, told The National that while AI can automate many technical processes, it cannot replicate the interpersonal and cultural skills that are essential in markets such as the UAE.
“The UAE has always been a market where business is personal. Deals are not closed by contracts alone, but by trust built in meetings, majlis and boardrooms. AI can automate reporting, forecasting and approvals, but it cannot replace the human skills that build credibility in the UAE,” he said.
Mr Lewis said sales managers, client relationship leaders, hospital administrators, school principals and project directors as examples of roles that rely heavily on empathy and cultural awareness.
“These are not just ‘soft skills,’ they are survival skills in a multicultural economy,” he said.
Mr Lewis said that there should be a focus on developing employees’ AI fluency and data literacy.
“In retail, that might look like an e-commerce manager who can use AI to predict customer demand while still shaping a human-centred shopping experience. In banking, it could be a compliance officer who uses AI fraud detection alerts but still applies judgment before escalating,” he said.
“The future is not for those who only know how to code, but for those who can apply AI in business-critical ways.
“Technology can deliver the data, but it takes a leader to align teams, calm resistance, and keep people motivated in times of change.”
Invisible Job Losses
Bronwyn Williams, an economist and future trends analyst, told The National that the “job apocalypse" is already well under way, especially among entry level jobs.
“This creates a situation where economists and business leaders do not count the ‘invisible’ losses – the jobs that failed to materialise and absorb talent,” Ms Williams said, who wrote the Survive the AI Apocalypse: A guide for solutionists book, released this year.
“They are also undercounting the impact of underemployment, where people are accepting jobs below their skill sets and experience level to survive – or who are taking on multiple jobs to make ‘one’ living.”
She said many traditional salaried jobs are likely to disappear, but a new “value economy” is emerging where people are rewarded for the unique contributions they can offer.
Those who keep improving their skills and provide services that others are willing to pay for will continue to find work.
She said middle-class workers in developed countries are most at risk, while professionals in less wealthy regions could gain new opportunities.
She added that in today’s global economy, education or social status alone is not enough to protect a job, because technology allows similar work to be done elsewhere at a lower cost.
Preparing the next generation
Karuna Agarwal from Future Tense HR, based in the UAE, echoed Ms Williams thoughts and said that several categories of jobs are already under threat.
She said the responsibility to prepare for the AI age starts with education.
“Our educational systems has a focus on building key skills which is a combination of soft skills and digital skills in students who are the future professionals,” she said.
“The skills that cannot be replaced by AI are things like networking, critical thinking, agility, analytical thinking to name a few. It is very important for young professionals to update themselves in digital skills like AI and data literacy to be relevant and prepare themselves for the AI Age.”
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Denmark 0-0 Ireland
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Ireland 1 Denmark 5
14/11/2017, World Cup qualifier
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
List of officials:
Referees: Chris Broad, David Boon, Jeff Crowe, Andy Pycroft, Ranjan Madugalle and Richie Richardson.
Umpires: Aleem Dar, Kumara Dharmasena, Marais Erasmus, Chris Gaffaney, Ian Gould, Richard Illingworth, Richard Kettleborough, Nigel Llong, Bruce Oxenford, Ruchira Palliyaguruge, Sundaram Ravi, Paul Reiffel, Rod Tucker, Michael Gough, Joel Wilson and Paul Wilson.
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
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Publisher: Konami
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
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Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
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Company Fact Box
Company name/date started: Abwaab Technologies / September 2019
Founders: Hamdi Tabbaa, co-founder and CEO. Hussein Alsarabi, co-founder and CTO
Based: Amman, Jordan
Sector: Education Technology
Size (employees/revenue): Total team size: 65. Full-time employees: 25. Revenue undisclosed
Stage: early-stage startup
Investors: Adam Tech Ventures, Endure Capital, Equitrust, the World Bank-backed Innovative Startups SMEs Fund, a London investment fund, a number of former and current executives from Uber and Netflix, among others.
Company profile
Name: Dukkantek
Started: January 2021
Founders: Sanad Yaghi, Ali Al Sayegh and Shadi Joulani
Based: UAE
Number of employees: 140
Sector: B2B Vertical SaaS(software as a service)
Investment: $5.2 million
Funding stage: Seed round
Investors: Global Founders Capital, Colle Capital Partners, Wamda Capital, Plug and Play, Comma Capital, Nowais Capital, Annex Investments and AMK Investment Office
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The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
Company info
Company name: Entrupy
Co-founders: Vidyuth Srinivasan, co-founder/chief executive, Ashlesh Sharma, co-founder/chief technology officer, Lakshmi Subramanian, co-founder/chief scientist
Based: New York, New York
Sector/About: Entrupy is a hardware-enabled SaaS company whose mission is to protect businesses, borders and consumers from transactions involving counterfeit goods.
Initial investment/Investors: Entrupy secured a $2.6m Series A funding round in 2017. The round was led by Tokyo-based Digital Garage and Daiwa Securities Group's jointly established venture arm, DG Lab Fund I Investment Limited Partnership, along with Zach Coelius.
Total customers: Entrupy’s customers include hundreds of secondary resellers, marketplaces and other retail organisations around the world. They are also testing with shipping companies as well as customs agencies to stop fake items from reaching the market in the first place.
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