Fears of AI job losses not supported by evidence, expert says

Artificial Intelligence (AI). PHOTO; FORBES

As concerns grow over the potential impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) leading to widespread job losses across various sectors, the Country Sales Director for Process Automation, Sub-Saharan Africa, at Schneider Electric, Elijah Daniel, has countered the narrative, noting that such fear is not supported by evidence.

Daniel, an expert in industrial AI, workforce productivity, and digital operations, rather noted that companies that have integrated AI into their operations are already outperforming their competitors, stressing that success in the coming decade will depend less on assets or workforce size and more on effective AI adoption and industrial intelligence.

“An OECD survey across seven countries found 83% of firms that adopted AI reported no change in staffing levels. AI does not replace the skilled worker. It removes the friction that prevents the skilled worker from performing at his best,” he said.

According to PwC 2025 Global AI Jobs Barometer, industries most exposed to AI have seen three times higher revenue per employee growth, 27% against just 9% in less exposed sectors. The Stanford AI Index reports 78% of organisations used AI in 2024, up from 55% the year before.

He observed that a long-standing disconnect between control rooms and field operations is limiting productivity across Africa’s industrial sectors, even as artificial intelligence (AI) promises to unlock significant economic value across the continent.

“The African Development Bank projects AI deployment could generate up to $1 trillion in additional GDP across the continent by 2035. The sectors driving that number are oil and gas, mining, energy, and manufacturing, the same industries where this disconnect plays out every day,” he said.

In a statement issued yesterday, he stressed that the true value of AI in industrial operations lies not in the technology itself…

Source