AI take your job? How about he rise his salary? study of the Polish economical Institute on AI on the Polish labour market

Since the launch of the GPT Chat in late 2022, artificial intelligence has been a trendy subject in the media. In a popular media circulation, the AI subject is frequently portrayed in hysteric tone: from techno-optimistic euphoria to visions without a tiny catastrophic one.

The increase in publications on artificial intelligence can be seen everywhere: in the publishing market, among popular scientists on YouTube, in articles in the media, all the way after the rolls on Instagram or TikTok.

On social media, users besides encounter AI “in practice” through the flood of content created by bots, which has already gained the grateful name of “dungeon” enshittification) these services.

Like any fresh technology, AI is very emotional, and the media is besides very keen to benefit. In particular, many concerns in its context are focused on the subject of the labour market: "AI will take your job" – it was hard not to come across akin headlines in fresh months.

Is it time to be afraid? A study of the Polish economical Institute (PIE) was created last October "AI on the Polish labour market" presents a much more complex image. It discusses both risks and opportunities that arise from the implementation of artificial intelligence in the labour market. The impact of fresh technologies is not so much a threat as a challenge to the business sector, but, above all, to the Polish state.

Incoming automation wave

It is worth starting with the designation in the study that the impact of fresh technologies on the labour marketplace can be fundamentally twofold: substitution or complementary. In the first case, we talk about the situation where a technology replaces an employee, in the second, erstwhile it becomes his working tool, assisting in duties.

The analysis of the pastry experts consisted of a discrimination of 20 professions, which the AI will have the top impact on. However, the model utilized does not find the kind of impact – whether substitution or complementarity will be mentioned.

Despite this, a akin platform makes it possible to separate between jobs and industries in which the most changes will be made in relation to AI: they may be redundancies, but besides changes in the organisation of work or the request for fresh competences.

The study points out that, while we have faced respective times in the past with successive waves of labour automation – related to the improvement of technology – the 1 that awaits us is importantly different from our predecessors, in terms of which demographic groups will hit the most.

In the past, the implementation of fresh technologies has affected mainly low-skilled workers working in industrial or agricultural sectors. This time it is precisely the opposite: the employees mentioned above belong to those affected by the least.

However, highly qualified specialists are the most affected: those doing mental, non-routine, creative work.

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Competitions exposed to AI

As mentioned, 20 specified professions have been highlighted in the Report, but I will not list them in item (the table in question is on pp. 21-22 of the Report). Let us limit ourselves to saying that this is about professionals specified as financiers, lawyers, state officials, employees of insurance companies, administrative specialists, programmers.

It's time for a bunch of numbers. There are 3.68 million people working in these 20 posts – for approx. 15.2 million of the full working in November 2024. – 82% of which have higher education.

I besides have a sex dimension: since statistically women are better educated than men and do little physical work, they prevail in the indicated group: it is made up of 2.16 million women and 1.53 million men.

Let us besides mention the regional perspective. Mazowieckie, Lesser Poland, Lower Silesia, Pomeranian and Silesian provinces will be the most susceptible to changes. This is due to the location of large urban agglomerations and the concentration of the financial and creative industries in these regions. Similarly, changes will be least affected: Lublin, Podlasie, Świętokrzyskie and Kuyavian-Pomeranian. In the Mazowieckie Voivodeship, workers are heavy exposed to the AI's influence as much as 31% of full employees.

Threats for employees and companies

When reading the Report, it is apparent that we are in a minute of large uncertainty.

It is now hard to find to what degree AI will reduce employment, increase productivity or increase social inequality. Experts point to both possible benefits and problems and propose respective strategies for public policy.

The word ‘professionals exposed to AI’ connotes negative effects on workers (by default: dismissals), but it is besides possible that productivity will increase in the distinguished positions, which in turn will translate into a crucial increase in earnings. This entails the hazard of crucial income inequality between highly-implemented professions and workers in the industrial and agricultural sectors.

In the context of inequality, it is worth adding that the disparity between labour and capital can besides be deepened – the widespread usage of AI will drastically increase the capital revenues of technological companies.

There is besides a fear that abroad companies will increase their advantage over Polish capital in relation to AI. Low level of implementation of fresh technologies in Polish companies can make them little productive than companies with abroad capital that implement fresh technologies much more efficiently. These concerns are only confirmed by the newer pastry study “AI in Polish companies” in September 2025, the experts stated that "the vast majority of entities in Poland do not want to implement artificial intelligence until it is necessary", as indicated 77% of companies that do not usage AI" (ibid., p. 4). The reluctance of Polish entrepreneurs to innovate is so alarming.

Returning to labour issues, the hazard should be mentioned that AI will lead to (yet larger) labour marketplace ridicule. In this case, there will be no mass simplification in employment, but a simplification in the quality of work: the increase in "typical" forms of employment, specified as forced part-time work.

Another threat to workers is the low level of digital competence of Poles, which makes them little immune to the impact of digital technologies on the labour market. Moreover, Polish workers seldom choose to improve their qualifications – only 8.7% of employees do so, which is sixth from the end of the EU. Systematic incentives for training can be the answer to this situation. The study shows, for example, solutions from France – where employees collect individual funds from their employer in their accounts, which can be utilized for self-selected training – or from Sweden, where training leave exists, for which they receive compensation for income lost at their time (p. 34). The pastry study of September of this year entitled "Why aren't Poles trained? Reasons for low adult participation in education and trainingIt’s okay. ”

A Challenge for State and Business

As you can see in the study the temper of uncertainty as to possible scenarios for the implementation of AI on the labour market, let us finish to usage the cliché, a affirmative accent. Although it will only be an accent here, it is simply a substance of large importance.

The unfavourable demographic trends in Poland will have a crucial impact on our labour market, which will shrink importantly in the next decade. Implementation of AI tools can be an chance to fill, at least in part, gaps in the marketplace and replace the missing workforce.

In conclusion, much will depend on what kind of AI impact will prevail: substitution or complimentation.

The conclusion, which can be drawn from the Report, is that the Polish State should conduct an active policy against the formation of inequality, and besides stimulate Polish business to greater innovation.

There is surely a request to address the issue of the digital competence of society, which could importantly increase its resilience to technological change.

This is the right approach to fresh technologies: it is not essential to break hands over the many risks that all fresh marketplace situation carries. Rather, they should be treated as a challenge for public policy and Polish business.

Bibliography:

“Working in the National Economy in Poland in November 2024”, Central Statistical Office of Poland, 24.04.201025

Korgul K., Witczak J., Świętcicki I., “AI on the Polish labour market”, Polish economical Institute, Warsaw, October 2024,

Lesiak M., Święcicki I., Witczak J.,“AI in Polish enterprises”, “Point Paper” 2025, no. 5, Polish economical Institute, Warsaw, September 2025,

Prudle D., Arrived C., “Why do Poles not train? Causes of low level of participation of adults in education and education”, Polish economical Institute, Warsaw, September 2025.