According to research by Minds & Roses for Łazarski University, 79% of employees declare that they use AI tools — yet only 25% apply them in professional contexts. This suggests that many still do not fully understand how or whether they are allowed to use AI at work. Some may also fear that doing so could reveal how easily their role might be automated. This concern is visible even among young people just entering the labor market. The rapid development of artificial intelligence is one of the main forces reshaping the job market and the skills it demands.
The World Economic Forum’s “Future of Jobs Report 2025” offers little optimism — nearly 40% of workers’ skills are expected to become outdated or require major change by 2030. Technology, especially AI, plays a central role in this shift. As many as 86% of global employers believe AI will become critical to business operations within the next five years.
“Future competencies will obviously be tied to artificial intelligence. AI is evolving very rapidly. We must be ready for the fact that some professions may soon no longer be needed, because AI will be able to replace them,” says Dr. Joanna Beck of Łazarski University. “Beyond AI-related skills, it is equally crucial to assess our soft skills, emotional intelligence, ability to collaborate with people — and to communicate with AI. We must consider our level of psychological resilience and readiness to adapt.”
The Minds & Roses report, prepared for Łazarski University as part of the project “Perspective and direction of higher education development based on labor market changes,” finds that there is no single universal skill of the future. However, skills that combine digital fluency with soft competencies — such as creativity, flexibility, empathy, critical thinking, and lifelong learning — are growing in importance.
“Future professions will certainly be those that enable people to work effectively with AI. We will likely see a growing market for AI coaching — teaching people how to use AI and how to balance digital tools with being present in the real world,” says Dr. Beck. “Psychological support will also grow in importance, as will consulting roles that help people understand which AI resources are available and how to apply them in specific fields.”
According to the NASK and ILO report “Generative AI and the Polish Labor Market,” nearly one-third of all jobs in Poland — around 5 million positions — are susceptible to GenAI impact. Among them, 4.9% are classified as highly susceptible, meaning that existing tasks are the most likely to be automated or reshaped first.
“We observe more and more companies moving away from roles based on repetitive tasks, such as answering emails or managing routine communication — these are now managed by bots. This doesn’t mean such employees will disappear entirely, but demand for such roles will decrease. Copywriters are reportedly needed less, as AI can increasingly generate content, with language models improving rapidly,” notes Dr. Beck. “Junior-level programmers may also become less essential — but then, without juniors today, we won’t have experienced seniors tomorrow. Entry-level roles are the most replaceable — but the decision to automate them is ultimately ours.”
“AI often triggers anxiety among young people entering the job market, because junior positions are the easiest to automate. Some students feel that they are ‘already obsolete’ before they even start, and at the same time, companies are less inclined to invest in training them — it’s easier to ask AI than a new hire,” says Anna Siwińska, partner at Minds & Roses. “There is a real need to encourage companies to see the value of onboarding young talent — because humans bring irreplaceable qualities.”
The Minds & Roses data show that younger generations feel confident with technology and eagerly use AI — 75% of employees and 89% of students use AI privately. Yet only 25% of employees apply it in their professional work.
“Looking deeper, we see that many organizations still lack processes that define how to integrate AI. Employees are ready — so change is likely inevitable. The labor market must figure out how to realistically embed AI into business operations,” says Konrad Siwiński, senior partner at Minds & Roses. “Employees are unsure how far they are allowed to go — and fear that using AI might prove how easily they could be replaced.”
Polish companies still underestimate the potential benefits of AI adoption. According to the Polish Economic Institute’s report “AI in Polish Enterprises” and MRiT data, 16% of businesses already use AI tools, and 23% plan to adopt them. However, 77% of non-users declare they will not implement AI unless absolutely necessary.
“It is crucial that organizations open up to new technologies — but also adapt training and processes so employees know how to use them safely and effectively. Ethical decisions will also matter — where we apply AI, and where we consciously decide to say ‘stop’. But technology is not the only challenge — another major one is generational diversity. For the first time, so many generations are working side by side, with very different expectations and needs,” adds Anna Siwińska.
“We strongly encourage building multigenerational teams. Much has been said about Gen Z — and yes, there are challenges — but they are entering the workforce with strong technological readiness and natural ease in using AI solutions,” concludes Konrad Siwiński.
