The Roundup 2026: volume 2 / Article 1 / Article 2 / Article 3 / Article 4
AI takes the blame for headline-grabbing job cuts, but it also spurs the quiet emergence of new jobs. Beneath the hype, much of the real AI-driven transformation takes place at the ground level, where the makeup of work itself is being dissected, reassembled, and elevated.
AI shapes work, task by task.
Only 10 – 15% of jobs are vulnerable to replacement over the next five years. This involves a high number of positions, but not enough to account for the full impact of AI. Most roles are likely to escape full elimination, but the tasks and skills that are needed to do them are rapidly evolving.
Business leaders and hiring managers must now ask, “Which tasks within every job are candidates for AI-powered transformation, and what does that mean for our people?” Organizations are reorganizing roles, tasks, and hiring models accordingly.
Traditional roles are fragmenting into combinations of responsibilities not captured by legacy job descriptions or defined by four-year degrees. The term “new-collar” worker refers to talent that exhibits practical combinations of technical, manual and soft skills, and a high capacity for learning new skills.
Developing a strategy for engaging “new-collar” talent means looking at broader pools of potential candidates — including those upskilled through bootcamps, certifications, or on-the-job learning. This approach yields a more resilient workforce, prepared to step into newly defined roles as AI continues to reshape what work looks like.
When tasks within roles shift rapidly, organizations can draw on granular data about skills in demand, available talent, and hiring patterns to determine how to structure the job and target the right talent. It enables hiring teams to understand whether needed skills are available internally, or if they need to look outside.
As the work evolves, an organization may use data-driven insights to help recreate jobs and organize how work is executed from the ground up. That same data can also reveal the work model for the talent you need, whether for a contractor, a permanent hire, or a mix of the two for different situations.
A talent solutions partner can prove valuable in this decision-making if they have the technology ecosystem and expertise to deliver visibility and practical insight.
As new tasks replace or augment old ones, the internal workforce must keep pace. This doesn’t always require sweeping reskilling efforts. Adjustments can be made by reconfiguring teams, cross-training, and encouraging lateral moves based on specific strengths. Companies that develop clear models for ongoing skill development, matching learning opportunities with anticipated task needs, are positioned to adapt quickly, minimizing disruption as AI adoption advances.
AI-driven skills will continue to evolve rapidly, and many organizations need workers who take on new skills and solve problems. This skilled workforce is important across all sectors, but securing talent continues to be a challenge.
Companies seek the most efficient means of staying connected to the talent they need. They are applying a mix of skills-based hiring approaches, tapping into internal employee talent, leveraging contractors, and reaching beyond traditional definitions of work. Focus on the task, and the outcome becomes clear.