AI Will Transform the Job Market Faster Than We Think. These Skills Will Remain Irreplaceable

About 58% of working hours in Europe, and roughly 61% in Poland, could be automated with technology that already exists, according to this year's report from the McKinsey Global Institute. That share could rise in the coming years, reshaping the workplace around cooperation between people, AI agents and robots.

The ability to use artificial intelligence tools will therefore become a basic requirement for many workers. But the report argues that automation will not make human capabilities obsolete. Three-quarters of the skills currently sought by European employers, including problem-solving, writing and research, are needed both in work that can be automated and in work that cannot.

LinkedIn chief executive Ryan Roslansky and Chief Economic Opportunity Officer Aneesh Raman highlight five abilities they believe can help people remain indispensable. Curiosity comes first, combined with openness to unconventional solutions and a willingness to test them. They also point to the courage to act when the outcome is uncertain. AI can analyze and assess risk, they say, but people still decide which risks are worth taking.

Creativity is another advantage, and not only in traditionally creative jobs. Roslansky and Raman say teachers, business analysts and nurses can also benefit from creative approaches to their work. They add compassion, rooted in empathy, and communication, especially when dealing with people who feel anxious or lost or need to be persuaded.

The article also notes that experts from the University of Warsaw's DELab and Faculty of Economic Sciences have presented a different list of five future-oriented human abilities in a commentary for Rzeczpospolita. The broader message is that knowledge alone is no longer enough as machines take over more data-driven tasks and people retain responsibility for decisions.