Future of work

AI drives fall in graduate jobs

According to new figures from Indeed, AI adoption across industries has contributed to a steep drop in graduate job listings. The jobs platform reported a one-third fall in advertised roles for recent graduates, the lowest level seen in almost a decade.

Major professional services firms have significantly scaled back their graduate intakes in response to shifting labour demands. KPMG, Deloitte, EY and PwC all reported reductions, with KPMG cutting its graduate cohort by a third.

The UK government has pledged to improve the nation’s AI skills through partnerships to upskill 7.5 million workers. Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced the plan during London Tech Week as part of efforts to prepare for an AI-driven economy.

Concerns over AI replacing human roles were highlighted in a controversial ad campaign by Californian firm Artisan, which sparked complaints to the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority. The campaign’s slogan urged companies to stop hiring humans.

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Bosch calls for balanced AI rules in Europe

Bosch CEO Stefan Hartung has cautioned that Europe could slow its progress in AI by imposing too many regulations. Speaking at a tech conference in Stuttgart, he argued that strict and unclear rules make the region less attractive for innovation.

Bosch, which holds the most significant number of AI patents in Europe, plans to invest 2.5 billion euros in AI development by the end of 2027. The company is focusing on AI solutions for autonomous vehicles and industrial efficiency.

Hartung urged lawmakers to focus on essential regulations rather than attempting to control every aspect of technological progress. He warned that over-regulation could hinder Europe’s global competitiveness, particularly as the US and the EU ramp up AI investments.

The warning follows significant funding announcements, with the US committing up to 500 billion dollars and the EU planning to mobilise 200 billion euros for AI infrastructure.

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Top 7 AI agents transforming business in 2025

AI agents are no longer a futuristic concept — they’re now embedded in the everyday operations of major companies across sectors.

From customer service to data analysis, AI-powered agents transform workflows by handling tasks like scheduling, reporting, and decision-making with minimal human input.

Unlike simple chatbots, today’s AI agents understand context, follow multi-step instructions, and integrate seamlessly with business tools. Google’s Gemini Agents, IBM’s Watsonx Orchestrate, Microsoft Copilot, and OpenAI’s Operator are some tools that reshape how businesses function.

These systems interpret goals and act on behalf of employees, boosting productivity without needing constant prompts.

Other leading platforms include Amelia, known for its enterprise-grade capabilities in finance and telecom; Claude by Anthropic, focused on safe and transparent reasoning; and North by Cohere, which delivers sector-specific AI for clients like Oracle and SAP.

Many of these tools offer no-code or low-code setups, enabling faster adoption across HR, finance, customer support, and more.

While most agents aren’t entirely autonomous, they’re designed to perform meaningful work and evolve with feedback.

The rise of agentic AI marks a significant shift in workplace automation as businesses move beyond experimentation toward real-world implementation, one workflow at a time.

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AI and the future of work: Global forum highlights risks, promise, and urgent choices

At the 20th Internet Governance Forum held in Lillestrøm, Norway, global leaders, industry experts, and creatives gathered for a high-level session exploring how AI is transforming the world of work. While the tone was broadly optimistic, participants wrestled with difficult questions about equity, regulation, and the ethics of data use.

AI’s capacity to enhance productivity, reshape industries, and bring solutions to health, education, and agriculture was celebrated, but sharp divides emerged over how to govern and share its benefits. Concrete examples showcased AI’s positive impact. Norway’s government highlighted AI’s role in green energy and public sector efficiency, while Lesotho’s minister shared how AI helps detect tuberculosis and support smallholder farmers through localised apps.

AI addresses systemic shortfalls in healthcare by reducing documentation burdens and enabling earlier diagnosis. Corporate representatives from Meta and OpenAI showcased tools that personalise education, assist the visually impaired, and democratise advanced technology through open-source platforms.

Joseph Gordon Levitt at IGF 2025

Yet, concerns about fairness and data rights loomed large. Actor and entrepreneur Joseph Gordon-Levitt delivered a pointed critique of tech companies using creative work to train AI without consent or compensation.

He called for economic systems that reward human contributions, warning that failing to do so risks eroding creative and financial incentives. This argument underscored broader concerns about job displacement, automation, and the growing digital divide, especially among women and marginalised communities.

Debates also exposed philosophical rifts between regulatory approaches. While the US emphasised minimal interference to spur innovation, the European Commission and Norway called for risk-based regulation and international cooperation to ensure trust and equity. Speakers agreed on the need for inclusive governance frameworks and education systems that foster critical thinking, resist de-skilling, and prepare workers for an AI-augmented economy.

The session made clear that the future of work in the AI era depends on today’s collective choices that must centre people, fairness, and global solidarity.

Track all key moments from the Internet Governance Forum 2025 on our dedicated IGF page.

HPE unveils private cloud AI platform featuring Nvidia Blackwell chips

Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) and Nvidia have unveiled new AI factory solutions to accelerate AI adoption across multiple sectors.

Announced at HPE Discover in Las Vegas, the new offerings include modular AI factory infrastructure, AI-ready RTX PRO servers (HPE ProLiant Compute DL380a Gen12), and the next iteration of HPE’s turnkey platform, HPE Private Cloud AI.

The portfolio combines Nvidia’s Blackwell accelerated computing, Spectrum-X Ethernet, and BlueField-3 networking with Nvidia AI Enterprise software and HPE’s hardware, software, and services. The result is a modular, pre-integrated infrastructure stack intended to simplify AI deployment at scale.

HPE’s OpsRamp Software, a validated observability solution for Nvidia’s Enterprise AI Factory, and HPE Morpheus Enterprise Software for orchestration are also part of the integrated platform.

A key component is the next-generation HPE Private Cloud AI, jointly developed by HPE and Nvidia. It includes ProLiant DL380a Gen12 servers featuring Nvidia RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server Edition GPUs, supporting various enterprise and industrial AI applications. These systems are now available for order.

The platform also supports Nvidia AI Blueprints, such as the AI-Q Blueprint, for AI agent creation and workflow management.

HPE additionally announced the Compute XD690, a new Nvidia HGX B300 system powered by Nvidia Blackwell Ultra GPUs, expected to ship in October 2025.

International collaborations are part of the strategy. HPE is partnering with Japanese telecom provider KDDI to build AI infrastructure at the KDDI Osaka Sakai Data Centre using Nvidia’s GB200 NVL72 platform, based on the Grace Blackwell architecture.

In financial services, HPE is working with Accenture to test agentic AI workflows via Accenture’s AI Refinery, leveraging HPE Private Cloud AI for procurement, sourcing, and risk analysis.

Security and governance features have also been emphasised, including air-gapped management, multi-tenancy support, and post-quantum cryptography.

As part of its broader ecosystem expansion, HPE has added 26 partners to its ‘Unleash AI’ initiative, offering more than 70 packaged AI workloads covering video analytics, fraud detection, cybersecurity, and sovereign AI.

To support enterprise adoption, HPE and Nvidia have launched AI Acceleration Workshops aimed at helping organisations scale AI implementations.

Separately, Nvidia recently collaborated with Deutsche Telekom to launch Europe’s first industrial AI cloud in Germany, designed to support the manufacturing sector with applications in engineering, simulation, digital twins, and robotics.

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AI tools at work pose hidden dangers

AI tools are increasingly used in workplaces to enhance productivity but come with significant security risks. Workers may unknowingly breach privacy laws like GDPR or HIPAA by sharing sensitive data with AI platforms, risking legal penalties and job loss.

Experts warn of AI hallucinations where chatbots generate false information, highlighting the need for thorough human review. Bias in AI outputs, stemming from flawed training data or system prompts, can lead to discriminatory decisions and potential lawsuits.

Cyber threats like prompt injection and data poisoning can manipulate AI behaviour, while user error and IP infringement pose further challenges. As AI technology evolves, unknown risks remain a concern, making caution essential when integrating AI into business processes.

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Watson CoPilot brings AI-driven support to small firms

IBM has introduced AI-powered software to help small businesses improve operations and customer engagement. Based on its Watson AI, the tools aim to streamline tasks, reduce costs and offer deeper insights into customer behaviour.

One of the key features is Watson CoPilot, an AI assistant that handles routine customer queries using natural language processing. However, this allows employees to focus on complex tasks while improving response times and customer satisfaction.

IBM highlighted the potential of these tools to strengthen customer loyalty and drive growth in a competitive market. However, small firms may face challenges such as integration costs, data security concerns and the need for staff training.

The company provides support and resources to ease adoption and help businesses customise the technology to their needs. Using AI responsibly allows small businesses to gain a valuable edge in an increasingly digital economy.

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China pushes quantum computing towards industrial use

A Chinese startup has used quantum computing to improve breast cancer screening accuracy, highlighting how the technology could transform medical diagnostics—based in Hefei, Origin Quantum applied its superconducting quantum processor to analyse medical images faster and more precisely.

China is accelerating efforts to turn quantum research into industrial applications, with companies focusing on areas such as drug discovery, smart cities and finance. Government backing and national policy have driven rapid growth in the sector, with over 150 firms now active in quantum computing.

In addition to medical uses, quantum algorithms are being tested in autonomous parking, which has dramatically cut wait times. Banks and telecom firms have also begun adopting quantum solutions to improve operational efficiency in areas like staff scheduling.

The merging of quantum computing with AI is seen as the next significant step, with Origin Quantum recently fine-tuning a billion-parameter AI model on its quantum system. Experts expect the integration of these technologies to shift from labs to practical use in the next five years.

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Tailored AI agents improve work output—at a social cost

AI agents can significantly improve workplace productivity when tailored to individual personality types, according to new research from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). However, the study also found that increased efficiency may come at the expense of human social interaction.

Led by Professor Sinan Aral and postdoctoral associate Harang Ju from MIT Sloan School of Management, the research revealed that human workers collaborating with AI agents completed tasks 60% more efficiently. This gain was partly attributed to a 23% reduction in social messages between team members.

The findings come amid a surge in the adoption of AI agents. A recent PwC survey found that 79% of senior executives had implemented AI agents in their organisations, with 66% reporting productivity gains. Agents are used in roles ranging from customer support to executive assistance and data analysis.

Aral and Ju developed a platform called Pairit (formerly MindMeld) to examine how AI affects team dynamics. In one of their experiments, over 2,000 participants were randomly assigned to human-only teams or teams mixed with AI agents. The groups were tasked with creating advertisements for a think tank.

Teams that included AI agents produced more content and higher-quality ad copy, but their human members communicated less, especially regarding emotional and rapport-building messages.

The study also highlighted the importance of matching AI traits to human personalities. For example, conscientious humans worked more effectively with open AI agents, whereas extroverted humans underperformed when paired with highly conscientious AI counterparts.

‘AI traits can complement human personalities to enhance collaboration,’ the researchers noted. However, they stressed that the same AI assistant may not suit everyone.

The insight underpins the launch of their new venture, Pairium AI, which aims to develop agentic AI that adapts to individual work styles. The company promotes its mission as ‘personalising the Agentic Age.’

Ju emphasised the importance of compatibility: ‘You don’t work the same way with all colleagues—AI should adapt in the same way.’

Devanshu Mehrotra, an analyst at Gartner, described the research as groundbreaking. ‘This opens the door to a much deeper conversation about the hyper-customisation of AI in the workplace.’

Looking ahead, Aral and Ju plan to explore how personalised AI can assist in negotiations, customer support, creative writing and coding tasks. Their findings suggest fitting AI to the user may become as critical as managing human team dynamics.

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LinkedIn users still hesitate to use AI writing tools

LinkedIn users have readily embraced AI in many areas, but one feature has not taken off as expected — AI-generated writing suggestions for posts.

CEO Ryan Roslansky admitted to Bloomberg that the tool’s popularity has fallen short, likely due to the platform’s professional nature and the risk of reputational damage.

Unlike casual platforms such as X or TikTok, LinkedIn posts often serve as an extension of users’ résumés. Roslansky explained that being called out for using AI-generated content on LinkedIn could damage someone’s career prospects, making users more cautious about automation.

LinkedIn has seen explosive growth in AI-related job demand and skills despite the hesitation around AI-assisted writing. The number of roles requiring AI knowledge has increased sixfold in the past year, while user profiles listing such skills have jumped twentyfold.

Roslansky also shared that he relies on AI when communicating with his boss, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. Before sending an email, he uses Copilot to ensure it reflects the polished, insightful tone he calls ‘Satya-smart.’

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