GIC Director Tan Moorthy offers a refreshingly grounded take on AI and the workforce, one that cuts through the noise of displacement anxiety to ask the more useful questions. Drawing on the ARC (Automation, Redesign, Creation) framework, he maps how work is shifting at the task level rather than the role level, and why that distinction matters enormously for how organisations prepare. A clear-eyed, forward-facing read.
Every new technology has had an impact on the workforce of the time, and AI is no different. Unfortunately, the current conversation around AI and jobs is dominated by fear, layoffs, automation and displacement. But this framing misses the bigger picture, and it’s not the first time we’ve been here.
The internet reshaped entire industries. It eliminated jobs in printing, retail, banking and logistics. But it also created roles that didn’t exist before, such as web developers, digital marketers, social media managers and cybersecurity analysts.
The story of AI will follow a similar arc, and that word, ARC, is the key to understanding how to be successful with this transformative technology.
The ARC of Workforce Change
AI’s impact on work is a continuing journey of Automation, Redesign and Creation.
Automation of tasks is where we see the most impact. Unlike previous waves of automation that targeted physical and repetitive work, generative AI goes after creative and cognitive tasks, such as writing, coding, analysis, design and diagnosis. No profession is untouched, however. Professions such as lawyers, programmers, educators and doctors are also all feeling the shift.
Redesign of roles is the response that organisations must urgently embrace. Automation without redesign simply means the same inefficiencies faster. When AI takes over a significant portion of a role’s tasks, the role doesn’t have to disappear. Rather, it needs to be reimagined. Consider the entry-level programmer: rather than being replaced, they can now review and validate far more AI-generated code, becoming significantly more productive. The task changes, but the human value remains.
Creation of new roles is already underway. Prompt engineers, AI trainers and AI ethicists are emerging fields born directly from AI. Taking AI projects from pilot to production requires a new kind of professional: the Forward Deployment Engineer (FDE) who combines technical architecture with business consulting to ensure real-world deployment, not just task completion. And as AI introduces new risks around security, bias and hallucination, the need for a “human in the loop” only grows, generating more new roles in the process.
The Right Questions to Ask
For organisations navigating this shift, ARC offers a practical framework. The key is to focus on tasks, not job titles because AI automates at the task level, not the role level.
Start by asking:
- Which tasks within a role can AI automate and what percentage does that represent?
- Which roles can be augmented with AI tools to increase output and quality?
- What new roles are needed to bring AI into production?
- What skills do those new roles require and which existing employees are closest to qualifying?
- How should career paths and role architecture evolve?
These questions shift the conversation from anxiety to action.
The Human Imperative
Two things are non-negotiable in this transition. First, AI literacy for every employee. In other words, understanding how to work alongside AI is no longer optional. Second, targeted upskilling helping employees move from where they are today to where the work is going tomorrow, based on their current strengths and potential.
History is consistent on one point: every major wave of technological innovation has ultimately created more opportunity than it destroyed. AI will be no different. As organisations learn to deploy AI for growth through new products, services, and business models, new roles will follow.
AI will change the nature of work. But it is humans who will decide who benefits from that change.
Infographic: created by GIC Director Moira de Roche using NotebookLM
The IFIP IP3 Global Industry Council (GIC) serves as the principal forum for employers and educators to engage with IP3 and shape the global ICT profession. Each month, they feature relevant and insightful ideas in IFIP Insights.