AI makes people more valuable? PwC's latest report reveals 6 major AI misconceptions
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AI makes people more valuable? PwC's latest report reveals 6 major AI misconceptions
AI is creating job opportunities.
Navigating Web3 tides with focused insightsSource: CNBC
Translation: MetaverseHub
A recent study by professional services firm PwC finds that despite widespread fears that artificial intelligence (AI) will replace jobs and reduce wages through automation, in reality, AI is making humans "more valuable, not less."
Joe Atkinson, PwC's Global AI Leader, said, "The anxiety people feel stems from the pace of technological innovation. The truth is, technological advancement is moving at an unprecedented rate."
Atkinson added, "The report actually shows that AI is creating jobs."
Carol Stubbings, PwC UK’s Global Chief Commercial Officer, noted, "We know that every industrial revolution has created more jobs than it has displaced. The challenge is that the skills required for new roles may differ significantly from those of the old ones."
According to the "2025 AI Jobs Barometer," employment numbers and salaries are rising across nearly all "AI-related occupations"—roles involving tasks that can be handled by AI technology—including highly automatable positions such as customer service representatives and software programmers.
"Every time we've undergone an industrial revolution, more jobs have been created than lost," Stubbings said. "We believe the challenge isn't a lack of jobs, but ensuring workers are prepared for new roles."
The report analyzed over 800 million job postings across six continents and thousands of corporate financial reports, debunking six common myths about AI's impact.
Productivity
Myth: AI has not significantly impacted productivity.
However, the report found that since 2022, industries best suited for AI adoption have seen productivity grow nearly fourfold, while sectors with the lowest AI penetration—such as physical therapy—have experienced slight declines. PwC data shows that per capita revenue growth in high-AI-adopting industries—like software publishing—is three times faster than in other sectors.
Wages
Myth: AI weakens workers’ wage levels and bargaining power.
PwC data reveals that workers with AI skills earn on average 56% more than their peers in the same occupation without these skills—an increase from last year’s 25%. Moreover, wage growth in industries most susceptible to AI is twice as fast as in those least affected.
Employment Levels
Myth: AI could lead to job losses.
The report found that while employment in low-AI-penetration occupations grew by 65% between 2019 and 2024, even high-AI-penetration occupations saw strong employment growth at 38%.
Inequality
Myth: AI will exacerbate inequality in opportunities and wages.
Contrary to concerns that AI widens inequality, the report shows that wages and employment rates for jobs that can be augmented and automated by AI are actually rising.
It also notes that AI-related roles are seeing faster declines in formal education requirements, opening broader opportunities for "millions of people."
Skills
Myth: AI will "deskilling" automatable jobs.
The report instead finds that AI frees employees from repetitive tasks, enabling them to develop more complex skills and decision-making abilities, thereby enriching automatable work. For example, according to PwC, data entry clerks can evolve into higher-value roles such as data analysts.
Automation
Myth: AI will devalue highly automatable jobs.
Data shows that not only are wages in highly automatable roles increasing, but technology is also reshaping these roles to be more "complex and creative," ultimately enhancing human value.
Could AI Drive Modest Job Growth?
The study offers another perspective: against the backdrop of declining working-age populations in many countries, the "modest job growth" in AI-related occupations could even be beneficial.
Atkinson said the productivity gains driven by AI create a "multiplier effect" on the existing workforce, filling job gaps companies previously couldn’t meet while driving business expansion.
"We’re already seeing this trend in productivity data. This is absolutely and unequivocally a good thing."
The report emphasizes that AI should be viewed as a "growth strategy, not just an efficiency strategy." Companies should not use AI merely to cut labor costs, but rather help workers adapt to change and jointly create new opportunities, markets, and revenue streams.
"Avoiding a low-aspiration trap is crucial," the report states. "Rather than simply automating old jobs, we must create new professions and industries for the future."
"If used more flexibly, AI could spawn numerous new jobs and business models. Today, two-thirds of jobs in the U.S. didn’t exist in 1940—and many of those new roles were precisely enabled by technological progress."
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