New Year = New Future of Work?

Worries related to the labour market, despite the fact that unemployment in Poland is one of the lowest in the European Union, often affect us and raise questions about which industry, model or profession it is worth working in. Despite the relatively good situation on the national labour market, obviously referring to the low unemployment rate registered in the office, the future of work continues to arouse uncertainty in our work continuity and earnings. It is not surprising that the labor market operating in the capitalist system is necessarily characterized by volatility, which sometimes goes beyond our development possibilities. The market, not operating in a vacuum, automatically reacts not only to new technologies such as artificial intelligence, but also to events such as war or the climate crisis. All this makes the uncertainty of the future, paradoxically, our new reality. However, in order not to remain only in the sphere of negative forecasts, it is worth taking a real look at the analysis of the development of the labor market in order to be able to delineate where this future is within the scope of our possibilities and where we do not have as much influence on it as individuals as we seem to be able to have. This distinction and awareness of two possibilities; personal and social is crucial for our attitude not only towards ourselves; employees or employers, but also for us as a society.

AI: hurraoptimistic work helper or eternal “scarecrow”?

The development of artificial intelligence is undoubtedly one of the great breakthroughs of our time; this remarkable invention of the present, although it takes advantage of everything we have created as humanity, carries with it a series of concerns; ethical, legal and social, and even ecological. Due to the fact that AI is developing at a surprising pace, and its owners do not necessarily take into account the social consequences - let's recall, for example, Elon Musk, who on the one hand warns of the dangers of uncontrolled development of AI, and on the other hand actively participates in its commercialization - our fear is justified.Between absolute opposition to domination AI and the technooptimism that alleviates our fears, there is a big gap to fill: artificial intelligence will not disappear, but at the same time a reaction to how it is supposed to develop, Nor should it. Artificial intelligence in the labor market is not only about improved automation and replacement of employees, but also about the less visible part; accessibility to it, legal and ethical standards for its use by companies and employees, or copyright. We cannot stop the development of AI as such, because this revolution has already begun, but we have a social impact on how this development will proceed. Much depends on whether we will care about choosing policies based on the protection of labor laws and regulations concerning technological giants. The European Union, with the development of the AI Act, has shown that it is possible to create a legal framework that does not inhibit innovation, but at the same time puts the social interest and human rights at the centre. In the report of the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development Labour market, education, competences. Current Trends and Research Findings (November 2025) 4 possible scenarios for the future of AI in the labor market are presented, which help to look at both the more optimistic and inclusive scenarios and those in which AI exacerbates social inequalities. Scenario A: It assumes that in the context of an ageing population and low demographics in the EU, AI will play a supporting role rather than a replacement for workers. So there will be no mass layoffs, but a transformation of work towards AI-assisted models. At the same time, due to the shortage of workers, especially qualified, competition for professions requiring social skills will increase.

Scenario B: This is, first of all, a story about the fading role and responsibility of the state towards increasingly deeply interfering with the work of artificial intelligence. Workers will be affected by a strong division due to their origin, resources, social and cultural capital and opportunities received. First of all, institutional care in the form of vocational activation programs that helped people from all walks of life find their way into the labor market will disappear. Instead, the focus will shift to self-learning, often with the use of commercial AI-based programs. Organizations will simultaneously improve the work of some employees through the use of artificial intelligence, and at the same time remove some workstations that can be fully automated. As a result, the employment model will also change; platform work, projects and microjobs will appear much more often than permanent contracts, that is, forms of work without stabilization and a package of benefits. Inequalities will deepen, taking advantage of, or rather feeding on, our starting situation. If we were born in a place or environment where access to education, and especially to the learning of digital competences, was limited, we can be almost certain that an AI-based job market, crowding out “unprofitable professions” and seemingly offering a chance for success “on its own”, will not be available to us.

Scenario C: In this story we will not find radical layoffs or abrupt professional transformations and instead there is a picture of the untapped potential of artificial intelligence, especially in the area of vocational training. This scenario presents a state that watches over the development of AI, so that there are no sudden changes in the labor market or the deepening of social inequalities. At the same time, this vision shows the lack of full integration of artificial intelligence in social policies and the labor market as a tool to support the development of workers' competences. On the one hand, this makes this scenario a story of state responsibility and stability, but on the other - a certain neglect: the underestimation of the potential of AI limits the scale of possible benefits and makes technological transformation superficial. In this sense, the lack of decisive action does not pose a direct threat, but leads to the loss of development opportunities for both workers and the economy as a whole.

Scenario D: This is by far the most pessimistic vision of the future, showing a world dominated by the unregulated development of artificial intelligence. There is no room for social balance, since almost all sectors and industries are affected by the technological revolution, which instead of promoting development, leads to a sharp increase in social inequalities. The benefits of automation are accumulated by a narrow group of actors, while the majority of society bears the costs of this transformation. Control over AI technologies and the further direction of their development is in the hands of specific actors (corporations, organizations or states) without real participation of society and mechanisms of democratic control. The consequences of this order affect not only workers, who are forced to work in unregulated and extremely unstable employment conditions, but also the entire social and natural environment. A world subordinated to the logic of continuous growth and profit maximization requires huge amounts of energy and natural resources necessary to maintain AI infrastructure, which translates into progressive environmental degradation and a deepening climate crisis that can fall victim to any of us. Most of the scenarios presented above show, first of all, the fading responsibility for the development of artificial intelligence. Actually, only one of them - scenario C - assumes a certain state vigilance over the use of AI, although it also has its negative side: the lack of full use of its potential, which in combination with more aggressive and less ethical strategies of other countries can lead to a loss of competitive advantage in the global market. IBlooking at all the scenarios, however, one can see how important the role is played by law, regulation and the state, but also by ourselves as a society that has the ability to react and exert pressure on policy makers. This text also shows that we are to some extent responsible for what narrative around AI we create in the media; what we pay attention to and what we overlook, especially in the context of the labor market and the development of technology. And what does the data show? As Katarzyna Syrivka points out in the report Future by syrowka.com — Labour market and professions of the future 2026, the job market is entering the AI era in earnest:

Over the next year, 81% of organizations plan to increase spending on artificial intelligence. What's more, 94% of executives and 92% of IT professionals believe that a lack of investment in AI could cause organizations to lag behind the competition in the coming years. 

Times of independent career Looking at the data from the PARP study, one can get the impression that the idea of self-learning and career planning is often more a consequence of the inaccessibility of training within the organization than the actual choice of the employee. Although “Employees most often define their careers by following their own interests (32%) and self-learning (29%)”, this does not mean that such a choice is due solely to personal preferences. The lack of systemic support from companies causes employees to develop outside the organizational structures not of their own will, but out of necessity.

As the study shows, only a small part of employees (about 12%) aspire to take managerial positions. Vertical promotion ceases to be the main career path, and staying in one company with a view to further development is becoming increasingly rare. Increasingly, people are looking for development that gives them a real impact on decisions and work results, allows them to develop skills, offers flexibility and a sense of meaning in the tasks they perform. This shows how the promoted culture of variability, adaptation and flexibility has had a negative impact on employees and employers. If the organization does not budget for training or formal development programs, the employee is simply looking for development opportunities outside the current company.

While employees value internal mobility and formally structured development programs the most, organizations most often invest in work efficiency measurement and feedback systems (74%).

The gap between the needs of employees and the plans of companies is large and leads to mutual disappointments: an employee who does not receive support is forced to look for a new job and the company is exposed to high turnover and loss of talent.

summary The future of the labor market is increasingly intertwined with the development of artificial intelligence, which brings both enormous opportunities and social, ethical and environmental challenges. AI development scenarios show that the responsibility for its direction lies not only on the side of the state and regulation, but also on us, a society that can exert pressure on policymakers and shape the narrative around technology. At the same time, the data shows that employees are increasingly seeking professional development that gives real impact, flexibility and a sense of meaning, while organizations continue to focus on monitoring effectiveness, leading to tensions and staff turnover.

Sources: 1.https://www.parp.gov.pl/storage/publications/pdf/Rynek-pracy-edukacja-kompetencje_listopad-2025.pdf

2.https://syrowka.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/RAPORT-FUTURE-2026By-syrowka.com_16.12.pdf?__ca__chat=zjqsbooiyn1o