New world, new skills: Reskilling for the AI age
What does it mean to be a human worker in the age of AI? It’s a question many employees are asking. With once-ubiquitous tasks being augmented or automated, the future of work is knocking on the office door. People need to answer, whether they want to or not.
More than 8 million U.S. workers will see their roles fundamentally transformed by agentic AI by 2030, according to ServiceNow’s 2025 Workforce Skills Forecast.
Despite the inevitable disruption, workers who equip themselves with the right AI skills have an unprecedented opportunity. In fact, eight of the 10 countries we studied will experience a growing need for additional workers over the next five years—not exactly the doomsday scenario we were all afraid of.
(The two exceptions are Japan and Germany, where we forecast slight workforce shrinkage due to their aging populations, relatively muted economic growth prospects, and rapid uptake of AI and other productivity-boosting technologies.)
To understand what’s happening today, and how organisations and their employees can prepare for tomorrow, we asked Jayney Howson, senior vice president of global learning and development at ServiceNow, to weigh in.
We’re at a crossroads
Howson believes we’re at a crossroads that will define the next decade of human potential.
One path leads to a “great displacement,” in which cost cutting is valued over investing in and reskilling the workforce. The other results in a true “human renaissance,” where people acquire the skills and tools to work alongside AI.
The data supports the second, more optimistic, outcome. In all 10 countries represented in our research, there will be a growing demand for tech workers in all industries. So, the question isn't whether there will be jobs—it's whether people will have the skills to perform them.
It’s time to lead an orchestra
Agentic AI doesn't replace vision—it executes it. The winners in workplace transformation will be those that learn to direct it.
Howson likens agentic AI to trading a single instrument for an entire orchestra. That’s because agentic AI does much more than digitise processes. It conducts entire workflows, makes autonomous decisions, and delivers results around the clock.
Our research found that agentic AI will help narrow the talent gap that, believe it or not, persists. By 2030, the U.S. economy would be 8.08 million workers short without an assist from agentic AI, instead of an estimated 3.06 million with it.
Meet your skills where they are
When work becomes automated, your best bet is to lean into the things that make you uniquely human. Howson emphasises the importance of pinpointing and developing skills such as communication and relationship building.
Alongside these, AI governance is a huge opportunity for career growth, according to our research. In addition, every role should be fluent in data ethics, compliance frameworks, and risk management. Organisations desperately need professionals who can balance innovation with responsibility, ensuring AI delivers value while maintaining trust.
At ServiceNow University, people interested in reskilling for the age of AI can explore career journeys along this new path to success.
Reskilling is smart business
It’s tempting for business leaders to approach AI as a mechanism for unbridled cost cutting. But that’s a short-term win at best.
Reskilling your employees to work with AI is the key to attracting the best talent while retaining institutional knowledge. And it can equip you with a future-ready workforce armed with the know-how to grow your business.
Winning organisations will be the ones that adopt agentic AI and teach their people how to use it properly, while honing their companywide AI governance capabilities.
Gain more insights in the complete 2025 Workforce Skills Forecast report.