According to Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), artificial intelligence is poised to impact around 40% of jobs globally. Georgieva cited recent IMF analysis, highlighting that developed economies face greater risks but also more opportunities to harness AI benefits compared to emerging markets and developing economies.

The IMF chief elaborated that this is due to AI's ability to influence high-specialization jobs. In developed economies, up to 60% of jobs could be affected by AI. Georgieva noted that nearly half of these jobs could benefit from AI integration, boosting productivity. However, for the other half, AI applications might perform essential tasks currently done by humans, potentially leading to reduced labor demand, lower wages, and fewer hirings.

"In the most extreme cases, some of these jobs may disappear," Georgieva cautioned.

On the contrary, emerging markets and developing economies are expected to face fewer immediate problems from AI. The IMF warns that many of these countries lack a specialized workforce to immediately reap AI benefits, increasing the risk of technology exacerbating inequalities.

The IMF also points out that AI could impact incomes, widening wealth inequalities within countries. "There could be a polarization between income scales," says the report, explaining that workers who can access AI benefits might improve their productivity and wages, while others risk falling further behind.

Earlier, Goldman Sachs reported that productive AI could disrupt over 300 million jobs worldwide, though the investment bank acknowledges that this technology could boost productivity, labor, and GDP by up to 7%.

Meanwhile Anis Raman, Vice President of LinkedIn, warned in November that AI would reduce the value of technical skills, making soft skills more important. "The lifespan of a degree is dramatically shrinking," Raman stated.