AI and the Future of Work: What Comes Next

We’ve just released Deel’s new global AI policy report, AI and the Future of the Workforce – you can download it here.

We analyze how AI is changing jobs, regulation, and opportunity across the globe, combining Deel’s proprietary data with insights from governments and industry.

Here’s why this moment matters, and what our findings reveal about what comes next.

Inside the Global AI Policy Shift

2025 marks a turning point for AI. Less than three years after the launch of ChatGPT, global cooperation around AI has given way to fierce competition. Governments are less aligned on shared principles of AI safety, instead racing for national advantage. Businesses are rewriting job descriptions, workers are feeling the impact, and policymakers are scrambling to keep up.

This shift became clear over the summer. The Trump Administration’s AI Action Plan aimed to focus on innovation, infrastructure, and training policies. Weeks later, China proposed a rival global AI governance framework. Even Europe is rethinking its approach to avoid dependence on American AI providers the way it once relied on U.S. cloud services.

At Deel, we see these shifts materializing in real time across 150+ countries. That’s why we’re releasing our new policy report, AI and the Future of the Workforce, to help turn global policy debates into practical solutions that empower workers, companies, and governments alike.

How AI Is Changing Work

The World Economic Forum projects that AI could disrupt or transform more than 92 million jobs by 2030. Entry-level roles are vanishing, even as new AI-driven positions emerge.

On Deel’s platform, we’ve seen contracts with 'AI' in the title surge 585 percent since 2023. Roles like AI Librarians, which didn’t exist five years ago, now ensure compliance and accuracy in AI systems, showing what collaboration between humans and machines can look like. The field is also increasingly youth-driven, with 42 percent of AI hires between ages 25 and 34, reflecting a generational shift in the workforce.

But transformation brings tension. Gallup reports that more than half of workers feel uneasy about AI making employment-related decisions. The challenge for leaders is to ensure AI augments human work rather than replaces it.

How Governments Are Responding

Policymakers around the world are moving from principles to action. In the US, the AI Action Plan emphasizes innovation and workforce development. The EU’s AI Act sets global standards for risk-based regulation, requiring transparency and human oversight in AI hiring and HR systems. Singapore has embedded AI literacy into skills programs and small-business support.

Nearly every OECD country now has an AI strategy, but approaches vary, from Japan’s voluntary guidance to the EU’s comprehensive legal frameworks. For global companies, this patchwork creates challenges. At Deel, we see it as an opportunity to bridge policy and practice, and our data provide real-world insight on how regulations can move in step.

Deel’s Perspective

Deel operates at the intersection of technology, talent, and policy. Our data offer a real-time look at how AI is reshaping the global workforce.

Since early 2024, AI-related contracts on our platform have grown 91 percent, and nearly half of those hires are between 25 and 34 years old. The US, UK, India, and Canada lead in hiring, while Singapore, Switzerland, and the US offer the highest median salaries for AI roles.

We’re applying what we learn. AI powers key parts of Deel’s business, from compliance analysis across 150+ countries to guiding customers through onboarding and payroll. And like various regulatory frameworks, every system we deploy is reviewed by experts and tested for fairness, with humans in the loop at every step.

Our AI Librarians are at the center to verify data, refine models, and ensure accuracy. It’s how we turn AI into something customers – and regulators – can trust.

Looking Ahead

AI is rewriting the workplace rules faster than any technology before it. The policy choices made today will shape how billions of people work in the years ahead.

At Deel, we believe AI should empower, not displace. That means helping workers build AI fluency, supporting small businesses by providing the tools to adopt AI safely, and advancing governance frameworks that keep humans in control.

The future of work isn’t waiting. It’s here, and it’s up to all of us to make sure it works for everyone.