Denis Simon
Holder of the Bank of America Chair in International Finance at the Schwarzman, College at Tsinghua University; Senior Fellow at the Quincy Institute
Talent is gradually becoming one of the most critical resources in AI development, determining whether the technology advances in a responsible direction. Global AI competition is also transforming into a talent war, with the direction of talent flows indicating the trajectory of AI development. As industrial development has transitioned from a linear model to an integrated one, coordinated efforts across industry, academia, research, and government are needed, and talent pipelines must be kept open at both domestic and international levels. AI's impact on the labor market manifests in three ways: augmenting existing jobs to enhance efficiency, fundamentally transforming the nature of work, and creating entirely new positions. Currently, AI has displaced approximately 12% of existing jobs globally, with 30% to 50% of the workforce projected to be affected in the future. While short-term unemployment risks should not be underestimated, the long-term net effect is expected to be positive overall. Accordingly, education systems urgently require fundamental reform — not merely embedding AI tools into curricula, but cultivating flexibility, agility, and adaptability in talent to navigate a rapidly evolving professional landscape.
