In this second webinar on the future of work, we deepen the analysis of the impact of AI on work — moving from the task-level framework introduced in Part 1 to a broader examination of sectoral disruption, economic distribution effects, and the policy and organisational responses that can shape a more equitable AI-enabled labour market.
The Evidence So Far: What Is Actually Happening
The webinar opens with a review of available empirical evidence on the impact of AI on work:
- Productivity gains are real: studies consistently show productivity increases of 20-40% for knowledge workers using AI tools for tasks like writing, coding, and data analysis
- Employment effects are uneven: some roles are contracting (customer service agents, data entry clerks, junior copywriters) while demand is growing in AI-related roles and areas requiring human judgment
- Income polarisation risk: AI may be accelerating the bifurcation between high-skill, high-wage work and routine, lower-wage work — with the middle shrinking
- Geographic concentration: AI benefits are currently concentrating in tech-hub cities and among workers with digital skills, raising regional inequality concerns
Sector-by-Sector Disruption Analysis
The webinar provides a detailed sector-by-sector analysis of AI's current and near-term impact on work:
Professional Services (Law, Finance, Consulting)
These sectors are experiencing significant disruption of junior and mid-level work:
- Legal research, contract review, and document drafting
- Financial analysis, modelling, and reporting
- Consulting research, slide creation, and analysis
Senior professionals doing complex, judgment-intensive work are less affected — and those who master AI tools are significantly more productive.
Healthcare
AI's impact on healthcare work is largely augmentative:
- Diagnostic support tools are improving accuracy without replacing physicians
- Administrative burden (notes, coding, scheduling) is being reduced, freeing clinical time
- New roles in AI clinical validation and healthcare AI governance are emerging
Manufacturing and Logistics
Automation is advancing in physical operations, but the impact on work is more gradual than in knowledge work:
- Quality inspection and defect detection are increasingly AI-automated
- Warehouse operations are being transformed by AI-guided robotics
- Jobs are transforming rather than disappearing, with greater emphasis on system supervision and maintenance
Retail and Customer Service
These sectors are experiencing some of the fastest AI-driven job transformation:
- Routine customer service interactions are being automated at scale
- In-store roles are evolving toward higher-value advisory and experiential functions
- New roles in AI supervision and quality management are growing
The Distribution Question: Who Benefits from AI?
The webinar addresses the critical question of who benefits from the productivity gains AI generates:
Current evidence suggests that AI gains are disproportionately accruing to:
- High-skill workers who can leverage AI as a force multiplier
- Capital owners whose investments in AI generate returns without proportional wage increases
- Companies in sectors with high AI adoption capacity
The webinar discusses policy mechanisms that could broaden AI's benefits:
- Investment in AI education and reskilling at national scale
- Social protection systems that support workers through AI-driven transitions
- Collective bargaining frameworks that include technology deployment provisions
Building an AI-Resilient Organisation
For employers, the webinar presents a framework for building organisations that can thrive through AI-driven change:
Near-Term (0-18 months)
- Identify and pilot AI tools for the highest-ROI use cases
- Build AI literacy across all levels of the organisation
- Create clear governance frameworks for AI deployment decisions
Medium-Term (18 months - 3 years)
- Redesign roles around AI-augmented workflows
- Invest significantly in reskilling programmes
- Develop AI-native processes that assume AI assistance from the outset
Long-Term (3+ years)
- Build competitive advantages based on unique human+AI capabilities
- Contribute to policy development around AI and labour markets
- Lead on responsible AI deployment as a differentiator for talent attraction
FAQ: Impact of AI on Work
Will the overall level of employment fall because of AI? The academic consensus, based on historical analogies with previous automation waves, is that AI will transform the composition of employment more than its overall level. New industries and roles will emerge. But the transition will be uneven and will require active support for affected workers.
What is the best thing an individual can do to protect their career from AI disruption? The webinar recommends: develop AI proficiency as a core skill; invest in uniquely human capabilities (creativity, complex reasoning, relationship management); choose continuous learning over expertise in a single stable domain; and focus on roles that combine domain knowledge with judgment, where AI augments rather than replaces.
What is the employer's responsibility towards workers affected by AI automation? The webinar argues that employers have both an ethical obligation and a business interest in supporting workers through AI transition — through transparent communication, reskilling investment, and fair processes for role changes. Companies that manage this well retain trust, engagement, and institutional knowledge.