PwC Global Chairman Mohamed Kande, speaking to CNBC at VivaTech in Paris, rejected the view that AI will trigger mass layoffs, saying companies that deploy AI at scale are actually adding jobs.
VivaTech 2026 · Paris · PwC
"AI Is Adding Jobs, Not Killing Them"
PwC global chairman Mohamed Kande pushes back on mass-layoff fears, arguing the most AI-exposed firms lead in productivity, employment and wages — giving workers "superpowers" rather than pink slips.
Employment growth since 2018 — by AI exposure
52%
Most AI-exposed firms
36%
Least AI-exposed firms
Column height proportional to job growth vs. 2018. More AI exposure → more hiring, not less.
+40%
Higher productivity growth at the most AI-exposed firms
62%
Wage premium for workers with AI skills (up from 57%)
2.5×
More likely new tasks rely on empathy, judgement & creativity
AI job postings vs. the overall labor market
+69%
AI-related job postings
The "two-track" workforce
Where AI automates routine work and deepens expertise, jobs grow faster and pay more.
Professionalised jobs
2× growth · +42% wages
Routine automated, human expertise deepened
Democratised jobs
Baseline pace
Made easier for non-specialists
The "seniorisation" warning
Junior roles with high AI exposure are 7× more likely to demand senior skills like leadership — and such "seniorised" entry roles are up 35% vs. 2019 , raising the bar for new workers.
The optimists
AI is no "job killer." Altman and Nadella frame it as complementing and transforming work; firms convert productivity into hiring.
The skeptics
PwC itself cut ~1,500 US jobs in 2025; Fed Chair Powell cites AI in layoffs. Reskilling and mentorship still lag.
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