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Upskilling key as AI transforms global labor markets
International Labour Organization Director-General Gilbert Houngbo speaks during the Global Labor Market Conference's session on governing the artificial intelligence transition at King Abdulaziz International Conference Center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday (local time). Courtesy of Global Labor Market Conference
By Park Jae-hyuk
International Labour Organization chief calls for investments to support workforce adaptation
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — The impact of artificial intelligence on the labor market dominated discussions at the two-day Global Labor Market Conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from Monday to Tuesday, with most participants expressing confidence that people will continue to play a central role in the workforce.
At the international conference bringing together policymakers, business leaders and labor market experts from more than 120 countries to discuss the future of work, International Labour Organization Director-General Gilbert Houngbo said communication skills, interpersonal abilities and problem-solving remain critical in the age of AI.
"We should not just look at that as if AI is causing just negative impacts," he said Tuesday at a session on governing the AI transition. "It does also help in terms of bridging or fighting for inclusion."
Citing speech-to-text technology as an example of AI-driven innovation that can support people with disabilities, the head of the Geneva-based United Nations agency noted growing interest in using AI to achieve goals such as poverty reduction and training young workers.
While acknowledging that AI could “wipe out” some vulnerable jobs, including certain white-collar positions, Houngbo pointed to upskilling and reskilling as key countermeasures, urging governments to increase investment in such efforts to help workers adapt.
"Either my vision and my ambition is to ensure that we can use AI to make our life easier and make sure that human ... has more time available to balance work and life," he said.
Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Human Resources and Social Development Ahmad bin Sulaiman AlRajhi delivers his opening remarks during the Global Labor Market Conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Monday (local time). Courtesy of Global Labor Market Conference
On the first day of the conference, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Human Resources and Social Development Ahmad bin Sulaiman AlRajhi said that AI, robotics and automation are creating new opportunities while displacing traditional roles.
"We expect significant growth in tech-centric jobs like AI specialists and data analysts, while roles such as data entry and administrative assistants may decline," the event’s host said in his opening remarks.
Tech industry leaders at the conference shared this optimistic outlook.
Joanne Wright, senior vice president of transformation and operations at IBM, discussed how her company is leveraging AI to shift employees away from transactional and bureaucratic tasks toward higher-value, growth-driving work.
Venkataramani Suresh, co-founder and global CEO of VeriKlick, a New Jersey-based AI recruiting tools provider, said that AI is replacing tasks, not jobs. However, he warned that some jobs will disappear unless people pursue upskilling and reskilling.
"Whether that shift becomes inclusive or exclusive is ultimately an intentional choice made by leaders," he said.
Mohammad Alomair, CEO of Elm, a Saudi government-owned IT service provider, said AI should be understood as a “co-worker” rather than a replacement.
“The future of work is being shaped by a dual-impact loop, where technology transforms labor markets, and labor markets, in turn, shape how technology is deployed,” he said. “As work shifts from jobs to tasks, AI must support human decision-making, not replace it.”