Researchers help organisations and governments prepare for AI-driven world

Lancaster experts are helping to shape the future of work, skills and hiring, as the world shifts towards AI.

Dr Cara Molyneux, from Lancaster University Management School, has contributed to a major report spelling out how education systems, labour markets and regulatory frameworks must evolve to ensure inclusive growth and ethical adoption, as AI reshapes economies and workplaces.

Dr Molyneux is part of the pioneering Lancaster-led Technology in Professional Services (TiPS) project, which is bringing new technology and capabilities to professional services firms across the UK. She joined a panel of speakers at the All Party Parliamentary Group on the AI Shift, with a resulting report and recommendations designed to enable organisations and governments to mitigate risks, foster trust, and create a resilient workforce prepared for an AI-driven world.

The recommendations are divided into the themes of education and skills, labour market and hiring, and policy and legislation.

Dr Molyneux said: "As AI reshapes work at an unprecedented pace, we need education, labour market practices and regulation that keep people at the centre of this transformation. Our findings highlight the urgent need for coordinated action to build the skills, trust and ethical safeguards required for an inclusive and resilient AI-enabled economy. Through the TiPS project, we're working directly with professional services firms to ensure new technologies strengthen, rather than replace, human expertise."

Recommendations include:

• Integrating AI literacy as a core discipline within curriculum reforms to ensure future generations are prepared for technological advances
• Providing teachers with the knowledge, tools, and confidence to deliver AI-related content effectively
• Incorporating soft skills, such as critical thinking, empathy, and ethical judgement into training programs to complement technical expertise
• Developing strategies to preserve early career roles by redesigning tasks and creating pathways for graduates to gain experience despite automation
• Addressing the decline in recruitment of individuals under 30 by implementing inclusive hiring practices and targeted development programs
• Requiring organisations to conduct regular assessments of automation impact on job categories, ensuring proactive measures to preserve critical human roles
• Establishing clear strategies to determine where AI should complement human work rather than replace it, maintaining inclusivity and employee well-being
• Redefining roles and job descriptions to emphasise creativity, problem-solving, and interpersonal skills, areas where humans add unique value alongside AI
• Providing robust assistance for displaced workers while fostering innovation, ensuring that adaptation does not penalise progress
• Developing consistent Government policies to support organisations in planning for integration of emerging technologies, managing employee expectations, compliance with legal requirements and upholding ethical standards
• Developing and implementing public education campaigns to promote informed understanding of AI's benefits and limitations, helping to reduce fear and counter misinformation

The work has been carried out in collaboration with the Better Hiring Institute, Reed Screening, Bloor Research and Sky.