Labor transformation and new skills in the artificial intelligence era
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
Globally, the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) and, in particular, generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), is transforming the labor markets. This article presents a narrative literature review based on nine reports and research published between 2023 and 2025 by international organizations and academic authors, focused on the effects of AI and GenAI on employment, skills transformation, reskilling and upskilling. The analysis reveals a consensus in the literature: AI is not causing massive unemployment, on the contrary, it is reconfiguring work tasks through skills augmentation and complementarity, instead of a generalized substitution. Such transformation requires new skills, both technological and cognitive skills - such as analytical thinking, resilience and flexibility. In response, reskilling and upskilling strategies are promoted, but their implementation is uneven and depends mostly on individual initiatives. Digital, gender, regional and institutional divides persist, which constrain equal access to AI related technologies, limiting opportunities to benefit from them. In conclusion, decreasing inequalities through education, digital literacy and articulated policies is essential to a fair work transformation in the AI era.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Los autores conservan los derechos de autor y ceden a la revista el derecho de la primera publicación y pueda editarlo, reproducirlo, distribuirlo, exhibirlo y comunicarlo en el país y en el extranjero mediante medios impresos y electrónicos. Asimismo, asumen el compromiso sobre cualquier litigio o reclamación relacionada con derechos de propiedad intelectual, exonerando de responsabilidad a la Editorial Tecnológica de Costa Rica. Además, se establece que los autores pueden realizar otros acuerdos contractuales independientes y adicionales para la distribución no exclusiva de la versión del artículo publicado en esta revista (p. ej., incluirlo en un repositorio institucional o publicarlo en un libro) siempre que indiquen claramente que el trabajo se publicó por primera vez en esta revista.
References
[1] M. Hadi y M. Najm, “Introduction to ChatGPT: A new revolution of artificial intelligence with machine learning algorithms and cybersecurity”, Science Archives, vol. 4, pp. 276-285, 2023.
[2] J. Hecker y N. Kalpokas, “¿Qué es una revisión narrativa de la literatura?”, [Online]. Available: https://atlasti.com/es/guias/revisiones-bibliograficas/revision-narrativa
[3] World Economic Forum. “Future of Jobs Report”, 2025. [Online]. Available:https://reports.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Future_of_Jobs_Report_2025.pdf
[4] P. Gmyrek, J. Berg et al., “Generative AI and Jobs A Redefined Global Index of Occupational Exposure”, International Labour Organization, Working paper, 2025. [Online]. Available:https://www.ilo.org/sites/default/files/2025-05/WP140_web.pdf
[5] Global Partnership on AI (GPAI), “Voces del cambio: La IA generativa y la transformación del trabajo en América Latina”, 2025. [Online]. Available:https://wp.oecd.ai/app/uploads/2025/05/Voces-del-cambio-la-IA-generativa-y-la-transformacion-del-trabajo-en-America-Latina.pdf
[6] OECD, OECD Employment Outlook 2023: Artificial Intelligence and the Labour Market. Paris: OECD Publishing, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://doi.org/10.1787/08785bba-en
[7] E. Brynjolfsson, B. Chandar, y R. Chen, “Canaries in the Coal Mine? Six facts about the Recent Employment Effects of Artificial Intelligence”, Stanford Digital Economy Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA, Working Paper, 2025. [Online]. Available:
https://digitaleconomy.stanford.edu/app/uploads/2025/11/CanariesintheCoalMine_Nov25.pdf
[8] E. Mäkelä y F. Stephany, “Complement or substitute? How AI increases the demand for human skills”, arXiv preprint arXiv:2412.19754, 2025. [Online]. Available: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2412.19754
[9] C. Bonifácio, F. Schapachnik, et al. “Generative AI and the transformation of Work in Latin America – Brazil”, arXiv preprint arXiv:2505.13490, 2025. [Online]. Available: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2505.13490
[10] S. Garganta, P. Gmyrek, y H. Winkle, “Buffer or Bottleneck? Employment Exposure to Generative AI and the Digital Divide in Latin America”, Policy research working paper, World Bank Group, Washington DC, USA, 2024. [Online]. Available:https://documents.worldbank.org/en/publication/documents-reports/documentdetail/099826507262419608
[11] H. C. Portocarrero Ramos, O. Cruz Caro, E. Sánchez Bardales, L. Quiñones Huatangari, J. A. Campos Trigoso, J. L. Maicelo Guevara, y R. Chávez Santos, “Artificial intelligence skills and their impact on the employability of university graduates,” Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence, vol. 8, Art. 1629320, 2025, [Online]. Available: https://doi.org/10.3389/frai.2025.1629320
[12] Encyclopaedia Britannica, “Digital divide”, [Online]. Available: https://www.britannica.com/topic/digital-divide