As companies globally race to integrate artificial intelligence more deeply into their operations, the ripple effects on employment are starting to show – sometimes unsettling, often transformative. The decision by HP Inc. to cut between 4,000 and 6,000 jobs worldwide by fiscal 2028, citing a strategic pivot toward AI-enabled product development and heightened productivity, offers a concrete illustration of the pressures and prospects unfolding across the job market.
At first glance, such layoffs raise alarms: roles tied to product development, internal operations and customer support, many of them routine, repetitive or process-oriented, are among the most exposed. These are precisely the kinds of jobs that AI and automation systems are designed to handle efficiently. Studies have long warned that tasks involving predictable, rule-based operations, whether on manufacturing shop floors, in data-entry back offices, or in call centres, stand at risk of being replaced.
Recent research, though, suggests the story of AI and employment is not one-dimensional. A 2025 systematic review of the impact of generative AI (GenAI) on labour markets concluded that while AI will displace some jobs, it will also create new roles, especially those requiring human creativity, complex judgement, emotional intelligence or domain-specific expertise.
Moreover, according to the 2025 PwC “Global AI Jobs Barometer”, industries most exposed to AI adoption have seen significant gains in productivity, and companies hiring for AI-augmented roles are witnessing a wage premium for workers with AI-relevant skills. PwC Around the world, employers are starting to value hybrid capabilities — combining technical know-how, digital literacy, adaptability and human skills like creativity, empathy or complex problem-solving rather than purely automatable routine tasks.
Macro-level forecasts are telling too. According to the recent World Economic Forum (WEF) “Future of Jobs Report 2025,” the global labour market could undergo dramatic structural shifts by 2030. The report projects that while roughly 8% of current jobs could disappear due to digitisation, automation and AI exposure, about 14% of jobs may be newly created — implying a net gain of around 7% in total employment, albeit with major transitions.
Still, such macro-growth masks considerable disruption at the individual and sectoral level. Workers in manufacturing, data entry, routine office and administrative roles may find their jobs disappearing or significantly redefined, leading to displacement, skill mismatch or downward pressures. SAGE University Bhopal+2RSIS International+2 In contrast, demand is rising for jobs that require human judgement, domain knowledge, creativity or emotional and social skills — areas where AI remains limited or serves to augment human ability rather than replace it.
What does this mean for workers, companies and societies? The upheaval triggered by AI, as evidenced by HP’s restructuring, suggests some immediate consequences: layoffs, job insecurity, career disruption and potential wage pressure for workers displaced from automatable roles. Yet in parallel, AI promises to generate new roles in software development, AI system training, data analysis, creative content generation, human-AI collaboration, customer-experience design, and other hybrid fields. Companies that adopt AI might reap productivity gains, offer improved services, and create new business lines — but only if they pair AI deployment with investments in reskilling, upskilling, and human-centric jobs.
For individuals, the imperative is clear: adaptability. The future job market will likely reward those with a mix of digital literacy, complex problem-solving skills, creativity, and emotional intelligence, as well as a willingness to learn and evolve. For policymakers and educators, the challenge is to facilitate smooth transitions through education reforms, vocational training, lifelong learning initiatives, and social safety nets for displaced workers.
AI, in effect, presents not a simple binary of jobs lost or jobs saved but a transformation of the very nature of work. Companies like HP may shrink certain workforce segments, but the net effect could be a shift toward more knowledge-, creativity- and coordination-intensive labour. Whether the shift benefits workers or simply concentrates gains among those with privileged skills depends critically on how societies manage this transition.
As 2025 unfolds, the world stands at a crossroads. The promise of AI-improved productivity, innovation, and growth is real. But it comes with disruption. For many, it’s time to adapt; for businesses and governments, it’s time to prepare.
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