What is the future of organisations in the era of AI?

The time of true disruptive AI-based transformation has arrived. Currently, over 50 percent of venture capital investment is being allocated to AI firms, offering a strong signal that the era of AI continues its rapid upward growth (1). In the race to the top we are currently experiencing, innovating efficiently in isolation – as an individual, as a company, as an industry – does not protect you from disruption.

Given the complex landscape we face, multi-sector dialogue is essential to advance a deeper understanding of local, regional, and national needs and to achieve more integrated, systemic solutions. How can these principles be translated into concrete action? What is the future of organizations in the era of AI? How can we transform strategy to account for risk and responsibility?

The AI Disruption: Between Job Loss and Workforce Transformation

Most organizational advances to date denote AI adoption, which refers to acquisition and deployment of AI-enabled technologies. However, structural change through AI integration, rather than simple adoption, is essential to achieve organizational transformation in the era of AI. Various estimates suggest that 60 percent of all current jobs will undergo significant restructuring within the next 10 to 30 years due to the advent of artificial intelligence (2).

In addition, the World Economic Forum recently posited that “workforce transformation is imperative” (3). But are we truly transforming, or are we merely layering new tools onto outdated systems? 

Whereas 92 million jobs might be eliminated by the end of the decade, 170 million new roles will be created to address the AI-led transformation (1). Are organizations and individuals preparing enough for this drastic transformation? For instance, a recent study (4) finds that most employment losses are currently concentrated in occupations where AI automation, rather than augmentation, is most likely, with the highest drop being experienced by recent graduates (25 and under) in AI-exposed occupations (5).

Reskilling the Human Workforce

The role of technological change in reshaping job markets is a part of human history (6). In the era of AI, the key lies in investment that leverages the power of AI to enhance (or augment) human capabilities. In some divisions, automation is the immediate response to AI deployment, but augmentation is where the potential for improving the bottom line long-term really lies. Achieving AI integration in organizations, later feeding into organizational transformation, demands a redesign of workflows and thoughtful, systematic, synchronized investment in human leadership. 

Achieving human leadership is contingent on the development of new or revamped skills related to digital fluency and human-centric skills such as critical thinking, emotional intelligence, adaptability, strategic leadership, team leadership, resilience, and navigating ambiguity. 

A balanced techno-human training and retraining centered around these skills, and others yet to emerge, is critical to face the surfacing of entirely new occupations. For instance, a study on the history of new occupations (7) suggests that new occupations which focus on labor-augmenting innovations, rather than automation, lead to employment growth. Thus, the question we should be asking is not whether AI is transforming organizations, but rather how we should intentionally transform organizational systems and (re)train the human workforce to face this transformation. 

Amid the anxiety over the rapidly changing face of the job market, there is a positive outlook. A recent report (6) shows that employers in the United States and in the United Kingdom are starting to offer a premium in wages for candidates who offer new skills, up to 8.5 percent in the United States and up to 15 percent in the United Kingdom for applicants who bring in four or more new skills. These changes are mostly observed in technical, managerial, and professional roles, although some low-skills jobs also seem to be affected. 

However, there is an imbalance in new skills that varies by region. Whereas some countries like Brazil and Sweden are experiencing high demand for talent, but low supply, other countries like Australia and Ireland are experiencing the opposite, lots of available talent but low demand for such skills. In stark contrast, emerging and low-income economies are experiencing a double whammy, low supply and low demand for new skills.

A Global Challenge: Inequality, Governance, and Collective Responsibility

Accordingly, there are central questions that remain: How do we ensure the gains from AI are broadly and equally shared across regions? How do we use AI to reduce inequalities rather than exacerbate them? And most importantly, how do we translate these reflections into real organizational transformation with meaningful impact and responsibility?

Addressing these complex issues, which affect entire regions, demands intra and inter-industry collaboration and multi-sector communication. Unfortunately, research findings (8) to date on the impact of AI on the labor market are largely inconclusive due to data segmentation and broad generalizations.  

Furthermore, meso-level organizations leading policymaking across the Global North and the Global South need to engage in meaningful dialogue to maximize the benefits of AI while balancing the risks (9), especially those related to governance and policymaking for inclusiveness and responsibility. The need for scientific research and cross-regional data on the impact of AI on the labor market, along with other plausible channels of impact, is both urgent and imperative.

Overall, we need to leverage our collective intelligence and ethical leadership, through multi-sector and interdisciplinary collaboration, to lead the transformational shift of organizations in the era of AI. 

References

(1) https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/financing-smes-and-entrepreneurs-2026_075d8058-en.html

(2) https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackkelly/2025/04/25/the-jobs-that-will-fall-first-as-ai-takes-over-the-workplace/

(3) https://www.weforum.org/stories/2026/02/workforce-transformation-ai-jobs/

(4) https://digitaleconomy.stanford.edu/publication/canaries-in-the-coal-mine-six-facts-about-the-recent-employment-effects-of-artificial-intelligence/

(5) https://www.anthropic.com/research/labor-market-impacts

(6) https://www.imf.org/en/blogs/articles/2026/01/14/new-skills-and-ai-are-reshaping-the-future-of-work

(7) https://academic.oup.com/qje/article-abstract/139/3/1399/7630187

(8) https://www.brookings.edu/articles/research-on-ai-and-the-labor-market-is-still-in-the-first-inning/

(9) https://www.worldbank.org/en/publication/wdr2026

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