Why 60% of leaders believe AI will lead to workforce growth

• Key Insight: Here's why business leaders are shifting their expectations around AI-driven job losses.
• What's at Stake: Employers who make rigid commitments based on a single vision of the future.
• Supporting Data: 60% of surveyed business decision-makers who share one specific workforce expectation.
  Source: Bullets generated by AI with editorial review.

Despite concerns about AI-driven job losses, new data is revealing that more technology may actually lead to the opposite — job creation and headcount growth.

A new study from commercial real estate and investment management firm JLL, which surveyed more than 2,000 business decision-makers, found that 60% of leaders expect their workforces to grow rather than shrink. Similarly, 60% expect AI to reinvent human roles, while 40% believe it will replace them. However, that doesn't mean leaders can take a back seat. There's still work to be done in creating the right environment for these changes to take place.

"Earlier discussions [may have] centered on job displacement, but leaders are increasingly focused on how AI can redesign work and create new avenues for growth," said Peter Miscovich, executive managing director at JLL. "Today, [organizations] are not simply buying technology, they're trying to invest in their people to create new roles, increase productivity, and drive growth." 

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The use of AI in the workplace has already made significant strides in expanding employees' bandwidth and improving engagement, according to Miscovich. Chatbots, for example, can automate routine tasks and improve access to information, allowing employees to spend more time on strategic decision-making, innovation and relationship-building — areas where human judgment, discernment and creativity are most critical to business performance and outcomes. However, technology alone isn't enough to create a better employee experience or drive stronger business performance.

In order to reap the benefits of technological innovation while growing their headcount, organizations must pair AI-enabled digital tools with workplace environments designed to support human and cognitive performance. This means creating spaces where employees can focus, create, collaborate, learn and connect effectively. Leaders will also need to make deliberate decisions about which roles will evolve, where new skills and capabilities are needed, and how teams will work together in an AI-enabled environment.

"The leadership imperative is clear: move beyond the replacement narrative," Miscovich said. "The greatest value from AI will come from redesigning work so people can perform at a higher level as AI technology matures and workforce needs continue to evolve."

Keeping humans at the helm

Because AI transformation will not follow a single, predictable path, Miscovich said organizations that make rigid commitments based on one vision of the future risk limiting their options too early. Instead, leaders should prepare for multiple AI workforce scenarios, whether that means becoming more distributed, more operationally hub-based, or adopting a blend of both. 

Communication must be rooted in transparency, but more importantly, Miscovich emphasized, it must be backed by visible investment in people. This message must be paired with tangible action: practical reskilling and upskilling program investments providing opportunities to experiment with new AI-tools. These educational efforts can provide clarity about the human capabilities that will become more valuable over time.

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"Employees do not need leaders to promise certainty where certainty does not exist," Miscovich. "They need a credible explanation of how work may change, what future capabilities the organization will need to grow, and how the company will support employees through the transition."

As AI adoption continues to evolve, employees will need to be kept informed while ensuring technology remains a tool for empowering people rather than diminishing their role in the workplace.

"While many organizations are still evaluating the implications [of AI], the direction is clear," Miscovich said. "The most successful companies will use AI to create more adaptive, inclusive, and human-centered enterprises where technology amplifies human potential rather than simply replacing human tasks and reducing human engagement."