PwC Report Debunks AI Job Myths: Automation is Driving Growth, Not Elimination

Despite fears that AI will displace workers and suppress wages, new research from PwC reveals a different reality: AI is enhancing worker value, not diminishing it. The 2025 AI Jobs Barometer, based on an analysis of over 800 million job ads and thousands of company financials across six continents, challenges six common misconceptions about AI’s impact on the workforce.

1. AI is Boosting Productivity

Contrary to the belief that AI has yet to impact productivity, the report finds that industries well-positioned for AI adoption have seen productivity growth nearly quadruple since 2022. Sectors like software publishing, highly exposed to AI, recorded three times higher revenue per employee than those with minimal exposure, such as physical therapy.

2. Wages Are Rising in AI-Exposed Fields

Rather than reducing wages, AI is linked to increased earnings. Workers with AI skills earn on average 56% more than peers in the same roles without those skills — a jump from 25% the year prior. Wage growth is also twice as fast in industries heavily influenced by AI technologies.

3. AI-Exposed Jobs Still Growing

While concerns persist that AI will shrink job opportunities, the study shows robust employment growth across sectors. Between 2019 and 2024, jobs in lower AI-exposed roles grew by 65%, while more AI-exposed roles still saw 38% growth.

4. AI Is Not Driving Inequality

The data do not support the assumption that AI exacerbates workforce inequality. AI is creating broader access to high-paying roles by reducing employer dependence on formal degrees. Jobs augmented by AI are seeing increases in both employment and wages.

5. AI Enriches Rather Than Deskills Roles

Rather than eliminating skill requirements, AI is freeing workers from repetitive tasks and allowing them to focus on higher-order decision-making. For example, roles like data entry are evolving into data analyst positions, enabling career growth.

6. Automation Can Increase Job Value

The report also refutes the idea that automation devalues jobs. Even in roles deemed highly automatable, wages are climbing, and responsibilities are becoming more complex and creative.
With aging populations and declining labor forces in many countries, the report argues that AI-driven productivity could help address workforce gaps.

PwC’s Joe Atkinson notes, “It could absolutely and will be a good thing.” The report urges organizations to approach AI as a growth lever, not merely a cost-cutting tool. “Instead of limiting our focus to automating yesterday’s jobs, let’s create the new jobs and industries of the future,” it concludes.

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