How AI is shaping workplaces: Leaders say THIS one thing can save jobs and define the future of work

Imagine this: You're scrolling job listings, heart sinking as "AI-powered" pops up everywhere. After seeing huge layoffs, mainly in technology sector in 2025, 2026 is bracing for an anxiety explosion around artificial intelligence (AI), it seems.

And top executive at Davos are sounding alarms - not just on lost jobs, but on unprepared workforces. IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva called it a "tsunami" hitting labour markets, promising growth but demanding radical change. As AI reshapes careers, the big question looms: What is the future of work and how can one survive it? Read on to know more:The layoff tsunamiAI wasn't a side note last year, it was the axe. Challenger, Gray & Christmas tallied nearly 55,000 U.S.

layoffs tied to it. Amazon slashed 15,000; Salesforce's Marc Benioff admitted ditching 4,000 support roles since AI handles 50% of the work. Accenture and Lufthansa cited it too. Workers feel it: Mercer's Global Talent Trends 2026 (surveying 12,000 worldwide) shows job-loss fears jumping from 28% in 2024 to 40% now.

Worse, 62% say bosses underestimate AI's emotional toll - fear, uncertainty, that gut-wrenching "Am I next?", reports CNBC.

Deutsche Bank analysts predict "anxiety will go from a low hum to a loud roar," sparking lawsuits on copyrights, privacy, even chatbots harming youth. A Stanford study flags a 16% employment dip for new grads in AI-exposed roles since ChatGPT's 2022 debut - entry-level gigs vanishing, while vets hold steady.Leaders' wake-up callGeorgieva, chatting with CNBC at Davos, sees the upside: AI could juice global growth by 0.8% short-term. But "most countries and businesses aren't prepared."

Her fix? "Think about new skills - how to get them." Randstad CEO Sander van’t Noordende agrees AI hype oversells layoffs: "Those 50,000 cuts? Market uncertainty, not just AI. 2026 is the year of great adaptation." He envisions AI supercharging staffing - scouting talent, onboarding faster - boosting productivity without mass firings.

Yale's Budget Lab echoes: No massive shifts since 2022. Analysts warn of "AI redundancy washing" - companies blaming bots to mask other woes.Your ticket to tomorrow's jobsHere's the pivot: AI won't steal all jobs - it'll transform them. Mercer found 97% of investors punish firms skipping AI training; 75%+ favour those investing in it. "We've flipped from AI-washing reports for stock bumps, to investors demanding: 'How are you pairing humans with machines?'," says Mercer’s Ravin Jesuthasan.What are your views on the future of work? Tell us in the comments section below.