TOKYO, Feb 12 (News On Japan) –
The extensively held perception that synthetic intelligence will threaten folks’s careers is being challenged by Recruit Holdings President and CEO Hisayuki Idekoba, who argues, based mostly on in depth information, that AI is neither taking jobs now nor poised to take action within the close to future.
Speaking on the World Economic Forum’s annual assembly in Davos, Idekoba informed TV Tokyo’s WBS program that considerations about mass unemployment pushed by AI are overstated, whilst world corporations speed up funding within the expertise.
Recruit, which has acquired a number of U.S. HR expertise companies and displays employment information intently, sees little proof that AI is eliminating jobs throughout the broader labor market. Idekoba stated the notion that AI will all of a sudden exchange complete occupations is misguided, emphasizing as an alternative that AI is extra prone to reshape particular person duties inside jobs fairly than remove positions altogether.
“I often say that AI is not a job killer,” Idekoba stated. “It’s extremely rare for a person’s entire job to be replaced one-to-one by AI. What happens instead is that certain tasks—such as data gathering or drafting text—may shift to AI, prompting companies to redesign roles so workers can focus on other responsibilities.”
He added that, for at the very least the subsequent 5 to 10 years, widespread job losses precipitated straight by AI are unlikely. Claims that unemployment charges may surge to 10% attributable to AI are unfounded, he stated, noting that layoffs reported at main expertise companies characterize solely a small share of the general labor market. Tech staff account for lower than 2% of whole employment within the United States, and plenty of who lose positions in a single sector shortly discover work in others.
While hiring for software program engineers within the U.S. has fallen roughly 40% in contrast with pre-pandemic ranges, Idekoba attributed this primarily to post-pandemic changes following a hiring surge fairly than to AI adoption. Meanwhile, hiring in fields typically cited as weak to automation—comparable to authorized and accounting—stays about 20% increased than earlier than COVID-19, suggesting that AI has but to considerably scale back demand for staff in these areas.
Job development in sectors requiring bodily presence, together with healthcare, is anticipated to stay sturdy. In the U.S., about one-third of job development final yr got here from healthcare, significantly nursing roles, the place labor shortages persist amid diminished immigration. Roles requiring bodily work, comparable to plumbing or electrical work, are even much less vulnerable to near-term automation, Idekoba stated.
Companies looking for staff with AI-related expertise stay a minority. Only about 5% of U.S. companies are at the moment posting jobs that explicitly require AI experience, although that share has risen lately. The variety of jobs created by AI and the quantity displaced by it are each nonetheless comparatively small, in keeping with Recruit’s information.
Idekoba additionally famous that many executives are nonetheless struggling to exhibit clear returns on AI investments. Even within the United States, the place AI adoption is most superior, he expects that the 2026 earnings season might not but present substantial enhancements in productiveness or revenue margins attributable to AI, significantly at giant companies with advanced operations.
More broadly, he argued that immigration coverage and demographic traits are having a larger impression on labor markets in superior economies than AI. Tightening immigration in lots of international locations has led to labor shortages, making it tougher for corporations to rent and pushing unemployment charges decrease than many analysts predicted.
Looking forward, Idekoba stated the important thing problem for staff won’t be avoiding AI however adapting to steady change. Skills will evolve quickly, and the power to embrace new applied sciences and shifting roles might be extra necessary than mastering any single experience.
“What matters most is mindset,” he stated. “When change happens, do you see it as a problem or as something interesting? People who can approach change with curiosity will ultimately find greater satisfaction in their careers. AI will keep changing the way we work, but it doesn’t have to make us less happy.”
Source: テレ東BIZ