The Transformational Impact of AI on Employment

Tomasz Wiśniewski; Maria Paździor

doi:10.18290/pepsi-2026-0005

Published : 2026-06-30

Vol. 32 No. 1 (2026)

The Transformational Impact of AI on Employment

Tomasz Wiśniewski

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3423-5572

Maria Paździor

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1651-0358

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18290/pepsi-2026-0005

Abstract

This article analyzes the transformational impact of artificial intelligence on employment by integrating four source perspectives (history of AI development, scientific research, consulting firm reports, and statements from technology creators) across five dimensions of consequences: economic, organizational, developmental, social, and human. The methods included literature and report reviews as well as systematic analysis of 204 statements from industry leaders, synthesized in a comparative table of issues and exposure assessments, which allowed capturing both convergent points and divergences between source types. The results indicate agreement on productivity growth, selective occupational exposure, and inequality risks without compensatory policies; organizationally, they confirm the need for new operational governance (governance, audit, roles around data and models) and transition toward agent orchestration. In the developmental dimension, the skills-first paradigm and mass reskilling are consolidating, while socially, trust, transparency, and bias minimization become crucial; at the individual level, relief and increased stress coexist along with transition costs. The analysis is embedded in the cyclical history of AI “summers” and “winters,” emphasizing that despite unprecedented progress, the pace may slow due to lack of AGI breakthrough, hardware limitations, and explainability and regulatory challenges, though agent architectures are already transforming work roles and processes today. Implications include recommendations for public policies, education, and management practices, emphasizing investments in complementary competencies and responsible AI governance.

Keywords:

artificial intelligence, employment, labor market, automation, augmentation and complementary competencies, AI governance and explainability

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Wiśniewski, T., & Paździor, M. (2026). The Transformational Impact of AI on Employment. Journal for Perspectives of Economic Political and Social Integration, 32(1), 141–176. https://doi.org/10.18290/pepsi-2026-0005

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