Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Labor Markets: KazNU Researchers Participated in an International ETF Webinar

On November 9, 2026, faculty members and researchers from Al-Farabi Kazakh National University actively participated in an international expert webinar hosted by the European Training Foundation (ETF) entitled "The Impact of AI on Labour Markets: What We Know So Far" and "The Changing Landscape of Skills in the Age of AI".

Key speakers Mirela Gavoci and Cristian Raileanu presented comprehensive research findings on how artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming global employment, workforce productivity, and educational priorities. According to the evidence presented, there is currently no indication of widespread job displacement caused by AI. Instead, AI technologies are fundamentally reshaping existing occupations through task automation, augmentation of human judgment, and task reorganization.

The study categorized professions based on their exposure and complementarity to AI. While administrative personnel and translators face high exposure with potential task replacement, medical doctors and judges leverage AI to complement complex decision-making processes. Research highlights that integrating AI into programming, content creation, and customer service boosts worker productivity by 15% to 56%, yielding the highest gains for novice and lower-skilled employees.

The ETF report outlined a three-tiered skill pyramid for the AI era:

1. Advanced Skills (<1% of workforce): AI scientific and engineering talent creating core models and platforms;

2. Intermediate Skills (~5% of workforce): Domain experts applying AI solutions in healthcare, manufacturing, education, and finance;

3. Basic Skills (Nearly 100% of workers): Universal AI Literacy — the ability to understand, apply, ethically evaluate, and critically question AI outputs.

This webinar and its strategic insights align directly with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):

• SDG 4 (Quality Education): Focuses on embedding AI literacy, critical thinking, and human agency into university curricula;

• SDG 5 (Gender Equality): Highlights the importance of bridging the gender gap in STEM/ICT fields and mitigating bias in algorithmic systems;

• SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth): Fosters labor productivity, job quality improvement, and smooth workforce transitions amidst digital transformation;

• SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals): Enhances international institutional collaboration and knowledge exchange with European educational bodies.

KazNU continues to integrate top-tier international analytical standards into its educational and research programs, preparing students for the evolving demands of the global labor market.