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Work Reimagined: Roles, Skills, and Workforce Development in the Age of AI

As AI transforms jobs and industries, organizations are navigating new ways of working. Understanding the dynamics of AI adoption—what drives it, what slows it down, and its impact on roles, skills, and workforce development—is essential for building responsive and competitive workplaces.

To examine these dynamics, we surveyed a convenience sample of 1,000 organizational decision-makers working in human resources, information technology, or artificial intelligence roles in businesses across Canada in March 2025. We wanted to know how businesses are using AI, how it’s changing job tasks and skill needs, and how they are responding to AI’s impact and preparing for its future.

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Key insights

Organizations that have high AI integration report increases in professional and technical roles and reductions in customer‑facing roles and entry-level positions.

In the contemporary workforce there is a demand for AI skills and also social and emotional skills which increase as AI becomes more integrated into workflows.

Investing in training to upskill or reskill existing employees as organizations use AI is a top organizational priority both now and in the future.

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