Experts warn AI could widen workplace inequality and urge corporate action

The rapid rise of artificial intelligence (AI) is forcing workplace leaders to balance between prioritizing people and profits, as experts warn the technology could drive unemployment and exacerbate inequality.

Key Concerns

• Job Displacement: Pedro Uria-Recio, Chief Data and AI Officer at CIMB Group, highlighted that the AI boom could leave many behind, worsening inequality. The U.N. Trade and Development agency reported that AI might affect 40% of jobs globally.
• Adaptation vs. Protection: Tomasz Kurczyk, CIO of Prudential Singapore, argued that protecting jobs isn't the solution. Instead, companies must focus on adapting employment to the AI wave, likening it to a "tsunami" that can't be stopped.

Corporate Responsibility

Uria-Recio urged companies to:

1. Upskill employees to handle AI-driven changes.
2. Create new employment opportunities.

However, a 2025 Microsoft Trend Index revealed mixed priorities:

• 82% of leaders plan to use AI tools to expand workforce capacity.
• 47% prioritize upskilling, while 33% consider headcount reductions.

Ethical Challenges

Kurczyk warned that AI can amplify human biases at "light speed," as data inherits societal biases. "The bias is not a bug. It is a feature we don’t want," he said.

Optimism Amid Challenges

Despite risks, experts believe AI could:

• Democratize access to technology.
• Revive artisanal work, creating new opportunities.

Kurczyk emphasized that addressing inequality requires collaboration between governments, educational institutions, and corporations.

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