GLMC 2026: Panel Explores Building Skills For AI-Driven Labor Market

Riyadh: The 1st day of the Global Labor Market Conference (GLMC) in Riyadh explored how deskilling, once associated primarily with industrial automation, is increasingly affecting professional and white-collar roles. As intelligent systems take on routine cognitive tasks, the discussion focused on the shrinking space for entry-level experience-building, the risk of over-reliance on automated decision-making, and the implications for career progression. Panellists also considered how education and training systems must evolve to help workers build judgement, maintain expertise, and keep pace with shifting skill demands.

Dr Leila Hoteit, Managing Director & Senior Partner and Global Leader, Education, Employment, and Welfare, The Boston Consulting Group, opened the session titled “Click Don’t Think: The Demise of Expertise” by highlighting how AI is taking over routine work in ways that can increase over-reliance and reduce opportunities to build judgement through experience. She noted that while GenAI can expand access to skills, it is also contributing to hiring shifts toward more experienced talent and fewer early-career roles, raising questions about how new entrants develop professional judgement.

H.E. Macky Sall, Former President, Senegal (2012–2024), emphasised that education and training systems will be challenged to harness AI effectively amid an environment of information abundance and overload. He emphasises that the paradigm of education must evolve to reflect a new reality in which AI plays an expanding role in daily life and work. Girish Ganesan, Executive Vice President & Chief People Officer, S&P Global, highlighted a dual reality: AI can lower barriers to learning and accelerate early-career experimentation, enabling faster judgement-building. He called for redefining entry-level work through updated team models and job architecture, positioning early roles as foundational pathways that build versatile talent. He also emphasised continuous learning, combining AI, human, and leadership skills, and stronger public–private partnerships to support reskilling at scale.

Dr Kai Roemmelt noted that AI differs from many prior technologies because of its accessibility, with many workers entering the workforce already familiar with it. He emphasised the importance of identifying, verifying, and deploying these skills effectively within organisations and argued that practical learning, learning by doing, supported by human mentorship, remains essential. He also stressed that AI does not “own” consequences, reinforcing the enduring importance of core expertise and hard skills alongside new tools.

Anthony Salcito, General Manager of Enterprise, Coursera, highlighted that technology has historically reshaped jobs during major paradigm shifts and argued that similar disruption should be expected as AI adoption accelerates. He noted growing demand for AI learning, alongside rising emphasis on critical and analytical thinking, and pointed to micro-credentialing and trusted verification as important elements of a learner’s skills journey. He also emphasised the role of coordinated support, particularly across government and other stakeholders, in helping learners navigate changing expectations and career pathways.