'An occupation can be heavily exposed, but the artificial intelligence can either substitute or complement the tasks,' says academic discussing research results
As AI continues its rapid evolution, its impact on the workplace is becoming increasingly significant — especially for highly skilled, highly educated professionals.
Recent research from the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Italy highlights a shift in how technology is transforming these roles.
And for HR professionals, understanding and anticipating these changes is crucial for effective hiring and training strategies, says a co-author of the study Towards the Terminator Economy: Assessing Job Exposure to AI through LLMs.
Highly skilled jobs at the forefront of AI exposure
The report’s TEAI (Task Exposure to AI) index reveals that roughly one-third of U.S. jobs are highly exposed to AI, with 88% of these being highly skilled roles.
“Highly skilled jobs that require graduate or postgraduate levels of education are at the highest risk,” says professor of economics Emilio Colombo. This isn’t surprising, he points out, considering the capabilities of artificial intelligence (AI) today, which include cognitive tasks like decision-making and analysis.
Colombo explains that the TEAI index, unlike other measures of AI exposures, uses large language models (LLMs) directly to assess AI’s ability to perform various tasks.
“We ask AI: ‘Look, this is the task that composes this occupation. Can you rate, on a scale between one and five, how well you can perform this task?’” he explains. This method allows for a more transparent and reproducible assessment of job exposure compared to traditional expert or patent-based evaluations.
Navigating AI’s dual impact: substitution vs. complementarity
One critical point that Colombo emphasizes is the dual nature of AI’s impact on the workforce.
“An occupation can be heavily exposed, but the artificial intelligence can either substitute or complement the tasks,” he explains.
For HR, this distinction is crucial. If AI substitutes tasks, it may lead to workforce reductions. However, if it complements tasks, it could enhance productivity and skill requirements, necessitating retraining rather than layoffs.
The research indicates that highly exposed occupations have experienced wage and employment growth from 2003-23, suggesting that AI, at least so far, complements rather than replaces human labour.
This positive correlation offers HR professionals an opportunity to rethink their approach to talent development.
“This means that more exposed occupations tend to grow faster, and tend to have higher wage growth rates associated,” Colombo says.
Rethinking hiring and training for highly skilled workers
For HR professionals, the implications are clear: highly skilled jobs will not disappear but will transform. Radiologists, for example, are a case in point.
“In the future, probably … doctors will concentrate only on difficult images because 90% of the cases… is a very simple kind of assessment,” he says.
This shift means that while the number of radiologists may decline, those remaining in the field will need advanced skills for handling complex cases. For this reason, HR teams should focus on hiring professionals who not only possess technical expertise but also show a capacity for continuous learning and adaptation, says Colombo.
Given these dynamics, the most effective training programs will need to be highly individualized.
“It has to be individualized,” he says. “The only way AI is going to really make a difference is to enhance productivity for the specific activity of the firm.”
This requires a departure from one-size-fits-all training models toward more personalized development programs that align AI capabilities with each employee’s specific role, Colombo says.
Continuous education: the new imperative for HR
With AI evolving rapidly, even highly educated professionals must engage in continuous learning.
“Even if you have a university degree, what you learn there is not going to last for your entire working life,” he says.
HR leaders should therefore prioritize lifelong learning and skills development programs. Ensuring that employees regularly update their skills will be key to maintaining a competitive and adaptable workforce.
Colombo advises employers to take a proactive role: “Invest in education … highly skilled workers not only are the ones that will potentially take the most out of it by the interaction with technology, but also they are much more flexible.”
Flexibility, in this case, is crucial; highly skilled workers have the advantage of being able to transition between roles and industries more easily, which will be vital as AI reshapes job demands.
Preparing for AI integration: from strategy to execution
To make the most of AI, HR professionals must first understand its specific applications within their organizations. Colombo highlights a common issue: “There is this kind of frenzy about AI … but actually, if you ask employers what AI would do in their firm, they don’t know.”
The first step, he says, is to demystify AI and identify where it can complement existing roles rather than replace them. Once the applications are understood, HR teams can implement targeted training programs.
Colombo emphasizes the importance of knowing “what you can ask and how to ask” when using AI tools. Without this understanding, AI’s potential to enhance productivity and efficiency may be underutilized.
Looking ahead: building a flexible and adaptable workforce
HR professionals must anticipate the ongoing changes that AI will bring. Colombo advises that organizations need to “keep up with the advances in technology” and continuously invest in education.
By doing so, HR teams can build a workforce that is not only skilled but adaptable, capable of leveraging AI to enhance productivity rather than fearing its implications.
The findings of the Towards the Terminator Economy report serve as a reminder that while AI will undoubtedly transform highly skilled jobs, this transformation is an opportunity for growth and development if managed correctly, Colombo explains.
For HR, the focus should be on aligning AI’s capabilities with employee skills, fostering continuous learning, and creating personalized training programs. In doing so, HR leaders can ensure that their organizations and employees thrive in the AI era.
