Soft skills to survival skills: How to prepare for the 'job apocalypse' due to AI

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.”