A recent study by professional services firm PwC found that despite widespread concerns that artificial intelligence will replace jobs and cut employee salaries through automation, in fact, AI makes humans "more valuable, not less valuable."
PwC Global AI CEO Joe Atkinson stated: "The reason people feel anxious in this environment is due to the pace of technological innovation. The reality is that technological advancement is progressing at an unprecedented rate."
Atkinson mentioned: "The report actually indicates that AI is creating job opportunities."
Carol Stubbings, the Global Chief Commercial Officer at PwC UK, pointed out: "We know that each industrial revolution creates more job opportunities than it destroys. The challenge is that the skills required for new jobs may be very different from those of old jobs."
According to the "2025 AI Employment Barometer," almost all "AI-related jobs," which include positions that can be handled by AI technology, such as customer service personnel and highly automated roles like software programmers, are seeing an increase in employment numbers and salaries.
Stubbings stated: "Every time we undergo an industrial revolution, the number of job opportunities created exceeds the number of job opportunities lost. We believe that the challenge lies not in the absence of jobs, but in the need for workers to be prepared to meet the demands of new positions."
The report analyzes over 800 million job advertisements and thousands of corporate financial reports across six continents, debunking six common misconceptions about the impact of AI.
Productivity
Misconception: AI has not yet had a significant impact on productivity.
However, the report found that since 2022, the productivity growth in industries "best suited for AI" has increased nearly fourfold, while the productivity in industries with the lowest AI penetration (such as physical therapy) has slightly declined. According to PwC data, the per capita income growth rate in AI high-penetration industries (such as software publishing) is three times that of other industries.
Salary
Misconception: AI will weaken the wage levels and bargaining power of workers.
According to PwC data, workers with AI skills earn an average of 56% more than those without these skills in the same profession, up from 25% last year. Additionally, the wage growth rate in industries most affected by AI is twice that of industries least affected by AI.
Employment Quantity
Misconception: AI may lead to job reduction.
The report found that while employment growth in low-penetration AI occupations reached 65% from 2019 to 2024, there was still strong employment growth in high-penetration AI occupations (38%).
Inequality
Misconception: AI will exacerbate inequality in opportunities and salaries.
Contrary to concerns that artificial intelligence will exacerbate inequality, the report's findings show that wages and employment rates for jobs that can be increased and automated through this technology are on the rise.
The report points out that the requirements for formal education in AI-related positions are decreasing faster, creating broader opportunities for "millions of people."
Skills
Misconception: AI will lead to the "de-skilling" of automated positions.
The report found that, on the contrary, AI can free employees from tedious tasks, allowing them to practice more complex skills and decision-making, thereby enriching the work that can be automated. For example, according to PwC, data entry clerks can evolve into "higher value" roles, such as data analysts.
Automation
Misconception: AI will devalue the importance of highly automated jobs.
Data shows that the salaries of highly automated positions are not only rising, but technology is also reshaping these roles to be "more complex and creative," ultimately enhancing human value.
Can AI Support Mild Job Growth?
The research also presents another perspective: against the backdrop of declining working-age populations in many countries, the "moderate employment growth" associated with AI-related jobs may even provide assistance.
Atkinson stated that the productivity gains brought by AI can have a "multiplier effect" on the existing workforce, filling the job gaps that businesses were previously unable to meet, while also driving business growth.
"We have seen this trend from productivity data, and it is definitely and will definitely be a good thing."
The report ultimately emphasizes that AI should be viewed as a "growth strategy rather than an efficiency strategy." Companies should not use AI solely to cut labor costs but should help employees adapt to changes and collaboratively create new opportunities, explore new markets, and sources of revenue.
The report points out: "It is crucial to avoid falling into the low target trap. Instead of limiting ourselves to automating old jobs, we should create new professions and new industries for the future."
"If AI is utilized more flexibly, it could give rise to a plethora of new jobs and business models. For example, today, 2/3 of jobs in the United States did not exist in 1940, and many of these new positions were created by technological advancements."
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Does AI make people more valuable? PwC's latest report reveals 6 major misconceptions about AI.
Compiled by: MetaverseHub
A recent study by professional services firm PwC found that despite widespread concerns that artificial intelligence will replace jobs and cut employee salaries through automation, in fact, AI makes humans "more valuable, not less valuable."
PwC Global AI CEO Joe Atkinson stated: "The reason people feel anxious in this environment is due to the pace of technological innovation. The reality is that technological advancement is progressing at an unprecedented rate."
Atkinson mentioned: "The report actually indicates that AI is creating job opportunities."
Carol Stubbings, the Global Chief Commercial Officer at PwC UK, pointed out: "We know that each industrial revolution creates more job opportunities than it destroys. The challenge is that the skills required for new jobs may be very different from those of old jobs."
According to the "2025 AI Employment Barometer," almost all "AI-related jobs," which include positions that can be handled by AI technology, such as customer service personnel and highly automated roles like software programmers, are seeing an increase in employment numbers and salaries.
Stubbings stated: "Every time we undergo an industrial revolution, the number of job opportunities created exceeds the number of job opportunities lost. We believe that the challenge lies not in the absence of jobs, but in the need for workers to be prepared to meet the demands of new positions."
The report analyzes over 800 million job advertisements and thousands of corporate financial reports across six continents, debunking six common misconceptions about the impact of AI.
Productivity
Misconception: AI has not yet had a significant impact on productivity.
However, the report found that since 2022, the productivity growth in industries "best suited for AI" has increased nearly fourfold, while the productivity in industries with the lowest AI penetration (such as physical therapy) has slightly declined. According to PwC data, the per capita income growth rate in AI high-penetration industries (such as software publishing) is three times that of other industries.
Salary
Misconception: AI will weaken the wage levels and bargaining power of workers.
According to PwC data, workers with AI skills earn an average of 56% more than those without these skills in the same profession, up from 25% last year. Additionally, the wage growth rate in industries most affected by AI is twice that of industries least affected by AI.
Employment Quantity
Misconception: AI may lead to job reduction.
The report found that while employment growth in low-penetration AI occupations reached 65% from 2019 to 2024, there was still strong employment growth in high-penetration AI occupations (38%).
Inequality
Misconception: AI will exacerbate inequality in opportunities and salaries.
Contrary to concerns that artificial intelligence will exacerbate inequality, the report's findings show that wages and employment rates for jobs that can be increased and automated through this technology are on the rise.
The report points out that the requirements for formal education in AI-related positions are decreasing faster, creating broader opportunities for "millions of people."
Skills
Misconception: AI will lead to the "de-skilling" of automated positions.
The report found that, on the contrary, AI can free employees from tedious tasks, allowing them to practice more complex skills and decision-making, thereby enriching the work that can be automated. For example, according to PwC, data entry clerks can evolve into "higher value" roles, such as data analysts.
Automation
Misconception: AI will devalue the importance of highly automated jobs.
Data shows that the salaries of highly automated positions are not only rising, but technology is also reshaping these roles to be "more complex and creative," ultimately enhancing human value.
Can AI Support Mild Job Growth?
The research also presents another perspective: against the backdrop of declining working-age populations in many countries, the "moderate employment growth" associated with AI-related jobs may even provide assistance.
Atkinson stated that the productivity gains brought by AI can have a "multiplier effect" on the existing workforce, filling the job gaps that businesses were previously unable to meet, while also driving business growth.
"We have seen this trend from productivity data, and it is definitely and will definitely be a good thing."
The report ultimately emphasizes that AI should be viewed as a "growth strategy rather than an efficiency strategy." Companies should not use AI solely to cut labor costs but should help employees adapt to changes and collaboratively create new opportunities, explore new markets, and sources of revenue.
The report points out: "It is crucial to avoid falling into the low target trap. Instead of limiting ourselves to automating old jobs, we should create new professions and new industries for the future."
"If AI is utilized more flexibly, it could give rise to a plethora of new jobs and business models. For example, today, 2/3 of jobs in the United States did not exist in 1940, and many of these new positions were created by technological advancements."