Doom to boom: GenAI 'boosts revenue, jobs and pay'

The rise of AI has proved the doom-mongers wrong once more, and, instead of wiping out millions of jobs, the technology is actually driving profits by supercharging revenue, careers and salaries across all sectors, including advertising and marketing.

That is the decidedly upbeat conclusion to be drawn from two new major studies which show those industries that have embraced GenAI are reaping the benefits.

First up is the PwC AI Jobs Barometer, now in its second year, which analysed nearly a billion job ads in six continents across 80 industries to determine AI’s impact on jobs, skills, wages and productivity.

It shows that industries most able to use the technology have seen a threefold increase in revenue per employee, with wages growing twofold, while productivity and wages in sectors where AI is harder to deploy have flatlined.

Meanwhile, the skills sought by employers for AI-exposed jobs are changing 66% faster than for other roles, while workers with AI skills command a 56% wage premium – up from 25% last year.

And, rather than taking jobs, the report suggests roles are growing in virtually every AI-exposed occupation.

PwC chief information and technology officer Matt Wood commented: “AI continues to act as an amplifier of human expertise – not a replacement for it. Job cuts and doomerism make headlines, but job creation takes longer to materialise and to be recognised.

“As the shifting sands of the past two years begin to settle into clearer patterns, there’s never been a better time to dive in, get hands-on, and lead your teams through this transformation.”

The PwC report coincides with the publication of Coursera’s fourth annual Job Skills Report, which examines the critical skills that individuals and institutions are prioritising in 2025.

Drawing on insights from over 5 million students and 7,000+ business customers, the report shows that the global workforce is embracing GenAI at an incredible pace, with the technology is now the fastest-growing skill across the board.

The top-ranking skills across business, data science, and technology also include risk management, cybersecurity, and data ethics, highlighting the critical need to use AI in a responsible and collective way.

Even so, the while GenAI course enrolments have surged 866% year on year, over half of these are from students and workers from India, Colombia and Mexico, signalling what might be a shift in the globalisation of talent in emerging markets.

With 73% of employers now using GenAI, some 62% require candidates and employees should have at least some familiarity with it.

The report claims there is an immediate need for professionals to pursue these skills to improve their job readiness, especially as 22% of recruiting professionals have updated job descriptions to reflect the usage of GenAI.

Meanwhile, data ethics and data governance are among the fastest-growing skills for employees and students, driven by the need to responsibly manage and analyse customer data.

However, it seems job seekers are more focused on analytical skills, likely driven by the projected above-average growth of marketing analyst roles over the next few years.

Currently, only 27% of data professionals actively check for skewed or biased data during data ingestion, and just 17% of companies have a dedicated data governance group. As a result, data leaders want employees to be equipped with the necessary skills to maintain data ethics and integrity upon hiring.

The focus on data ethics and governance aligns with broader organisational demands to enhance data literacy.

Job seekers who prioritise not only data analysis, but ethical considerations are in high demand among employers and typically earn a wage premium. Mastering data analysis and data literacy skills is central to career success.

Finally, with one recent study claiming that 93% of organisations have experienced two or more identity-related breaches in the past year, demand for risk management and cybersecurity skills is also skyrocketing.

Additionally, nearly 90% of tech decision-makers say that GenAI will create aa massive increase in the amount of data that will need to be protected, yet only 65% are backing up as little as half of that data.

And with nearly 5 million-person cyber security roles going unfilled globally, developing risk management and cybersecurity skills allows learners to position themselves as invaluable assets in a highly volatile period.

Coursera chief executive Jeff Maggioncalda commented: “The changes brought on by GenAI demand a new pace of learning, and we must rise to the challenge together.

“Let this report serve as a guide to understanding the skills needed to thrive in the year ahead, uniting us in our shared mission to ensure everyone can learn, adapt, and succeed.”