As AI accelerates changes in how people learn, work, and earn, the conversation around jobs and skills has become more urgent. Our latest AI in Education Community of Interest session, co‑organized with the World Bank and EdTech Hub’s AI Observatory, explored these dynamics in-depth. A clear message is emerging: while AI may not be causing jobs to disappear overnight, it is already leading to the reallocation and automation of tasks, the augmentation of capabilities, and, in some cases, generating entirely new roles.
For low- and middle-income countries, this transition presents real opportunity but also significant risks across income, gender, and geography. Signals from the labor market and from training institutions, like universities – which are rapidly revisiting assessment models and curricula in response to AI tools– underscore how quickly expectations are shifting. This session examined these evolving skill profiles, emerging roles, and what they mean for preparing both today’s workforce and the next generation of learners.
Explore insights and discussion questions from this special Community of Interest (CoI) session held on 26 February 2026 to learn more about this critical topic.
Featured Speakers
- Ekua Nuama Bentil, Global EdTech Lead and Senior Education Specialist, World Bank
- Moderator – Cristian Aedo, Practice Manager for Education, East Asia and the Pacific Region, World Bank
- Guy Arie, Technical Lead, Worldwide Pricing Science, Amazon
- Kory Kantenga, Head of Economics, Americas, LinkedIn
- Mauro Pelucchi, Head, Global Data Science, Lightcast
- Saloni Khurana, Economist, Digital and AI Vertical, World Bank
Watch the Webinar
Key Takeaways
1. So far, AI is transforming work through task reallocation and not widespread job loss
AI is accelerating a shift in how work is done, with tasks increasingly redistributed between humans and machines. Instead of replacing entire roles, AI is automating routine activities, augmenting higher-value ones, and expanding what workers can accomplish. As Cristian Aedo noted during the session, the changes ahead seem to be less about jobs disappearing and more about tasks being reorganized and redefined. Guy Arie added this shift is already resulting in greater productivity in many instances and an expansion in the scope of many roles.
2. Demand for AI skills is not only rapidly spreading in tech but across all sectors
Labor market data show a clear trend: employers in non‑ICT sectors are increasingly asking for AI and GenAI skills. From agriculture to finance to manufacturing, AI is being integrated into operations, analysis, customer interaction, and decision-making.
“AI skills are now being requested in every single sector, not just ICT,” said Mauro Pelucchi. “Generative AI skills in non‑technical roles have surged sharply.”
This diffusion signals that AI fluency is becoming a core competency across the entire economy.
3. Entirely new AI-related occupations are emerging at speed
The session highlighted strong evidence from LinkedIn and Lightcast that GenAI has already created a wave of new roles — from prompt engineers to LLM architects, AI data trainers, and AI governance specialists.
“We’ve seen 1.3 million new AI-related roles created despite a downturn in hiring,” shared LinkedIn’s Kory Kantenga. These roles barely appeared in job postings three years ago but are now showing up worldwide. The ecosystem of AI work is expanding not only around developing AI but also using, governing, and securing it.
4. AI and digital skills carry real wage premiums, especially in LMICs
As Saloni Khurana explained, digital skills are associated with measurable wage premiums worldwide, but the size of those premiums varies significantly by country context. In low‑ and middle‑income countries (LMICs), job postings that require at least one digital skill offer, on average, about 7.7% higher wages than similar roles without those skills. In high‑income countries, the premium is much smaller—around 1.3%—largely because digital competencies are far more common, reducing their scarcity value.
She also highlighted that the newest generation of AI capabilities commands even stronger returns. In non‑technical roles such as marketing, finance, operations, customer service, or business administration, GenAI literacy skills (like the ability to use ChatGPT or other GenAI tools effectively) are linked to wage premiums of 25–36%. These premiums reflect employers’ willingness to pay more for workers who can integrate AI into everyday tasks, improve productivity, and adapt quickly to evolving workflows.
5. Foundational learning and human skills matter more in an AI-driven world
Despite rapid technological shifts, the speakers emphasised that strong fundamentals — literacy, numeracy, logic — and human capabilities like communication, critical thinking, and problem-solving remain the most future‑proof investments. AI increases the value of judgment, creativity, and context-setting. Tool-specific training risks becoming obsolete, while adaptable, analytically grounded learners will thrive regardless of how the technology evolves.
Further Questions From the Session
The following questions were posed by community members. We’re sharing to help stimulate further discussions and knowledge exchanges. Please note that some questions may have been edited for spelling or clarity.
Labor Market Demand and Skills Signals
- We have seen a lot of basic digital skills are implicit in job postings (e.g., use of emails, etc.). Do you think that some of the AI skills are implicit in new tech roles?
- AI agents are also creating security issues — is it the case there will be an explosion in the demand for security (human) specialists?
- Would you say that the AI revolution is similar to some extent to the computer revolution? Would you recommend that prompt writing, which should not necessarily require a lot of computer skills, be introduced in general education?
Workforce Transformation and Organizational Impact
- What are the implications of GenAI adoption by an organization on younger/entry-level workers who might not have developed their domain knowledge?
- From an employer’s perspective, how has the AI-driven transformation of the labor market changed the way you engage with higher education institutions? For example, have you deepened your engagement—such as training students directly in emerging AI-related skills (both soft and technical skills) through internships, work shadowing, or having industry mentors serve as guest lecturers?
Education Systems and Inclusive AI Integration
- How can AI be used to improve inclusive education without widening the digital divide for learners with disabilities?
Resources
The following resources were shared by community members and participants. These have not been reviewed by the World Bank or EdTech Hub, but are useful indicators of what conversations, evidence, and methods are being explored in the sector.
Resources from the World Bank
- Competency: Digital Skills
- Click, Code, Earn: The Returns to Digital Skills
- TBM Working Group Experts Share Insights: Boosting Talent Through Innovation, Skills and Quality of Life
- Exploring Digital Skills Demand: Key Insights from Online Job Vacancies in South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, and Uganda
- Novel AI Technologies and the Future of Work in Malaysia (English)
- Cross-Border Mobility of High-Skilled Digital Talent in the Age of AI
- Digital Progress and Trends Report 2025: Strengthening AI Foundations
- A Podcast on Building EdTech Systems: Lessons from Ethiopia and Mauritius in the World Bank-Mastercard Foundation Partnership
Resources from EdTech Hub
- The EdTech Hub’s AI Observatory & Action Lab
- Inside the AI Literacy Conversation: Approaches for Pre-Tertiary Learners
- How Is AI Being Used by Education Ministries to Improve Service Delivery in Low- and Middle-Income Countries?
- Teachers-in-Lead: AI Enabled Lesson Plans
- How AI is shaping the Education landscape across Southeast Asia: What’s working on the ground
Resources from Lightcast
- Beyond the Buzz: Developing the AI Skills Employers Actually Need
- Fault lines: The Three Cracks in the Global Labor Market
Resources from LinkedIn
- LinkedIn’s Data for Impact Community of Practice
- Data for Impact: A Partnership for Economic Opportunity
- Workforce data and research: Real-time data and updates including Labor market insights, Workforce Confidence Index, and LinkedIn workforce reports.
Other resources
- Global Skills Tracker
- How Managers Perceive AI-Assisted Conversational Training for Workplace Communication
- How Fast Will A.I. Agents Rip Through the Economy?
- Management as AI superpower
This is part of an ongoing series hosted by the World Bank and EdTech Hub’s AI Observatory and Action Lab. The AI Observatory is made possible by support from UK International Development. Please follow along and join the conversation on LinkedIn!
