Research from the University of Queensland suggests how businesses can prepare for the future of work
Workforce planning has never been harder for HR leaders, as AI reshapes skills and capability requirements at a head-spinning rate.
“One of the paradoxes of AI is that new skills appear, only for AI to automate them out of existence within months,” Dr Evan Shellshear, adjunct professor at the University of Queensland, told HRD.
“We’ve seen this in IT with roles like prompt engineers. The skill is in demand, then AI evolves to do it better — and the role effectively disappears.”
This phenomenon, described as “self-automation,” is occurring in multiple industries. While emerging skills remain vital for innovation, HR teams must recognise that not every technical skill will have a long shelf life.
It comes as new research - co-authored by Shellshear alongside Kah Wee Oh - highlights emerging skills and their impact on occupations as a result of emerging technologies such as AI.
“The rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI), particularly the emergence of Large Language Models (LLMs) and generative AI, has fundamentally altered the landscape of work,” the report outlines in its introduction.
“The automation of cognitive tasks, previously thought to be the exclusive domain of human expertise, is reshaping the composition of skills required across a wide spectrum of occupations.”
AI is reshaping the skills landscape
According to Shellshear, AI isn’t removing jobs wholesale — it’s automating tasks. “It’s not a job that AI replaces, but an individual task within that job. When a role is made up almost entirely of a single automatable task, that’s when we see job loss.”
This distinction has major implications for HR strategy. Rather than focusing narrowly on potential transient technical capabilities, organisations should prioritise durable human skills that AI cannot easily replicate.
“Our research shows three key skill areas that will retain — and grow — in importance: communication, collaboration and creativity; management and leadership capabilities; and assisting and caring skills,” Shellshear said.
“These are the skills that will carry organisations through multiple waves of AI transformation.”
Investing in skills strategically
For learning and development (L&D) teams, the temptation is to chase every emerging skill. But this approach risks significant waste, Shellshear outlined.
“HR departments are investing large budgets into skills that might be irrelevant in two or three years.”
“It’s critical to focus training on capabilities that will remain valuable, rather than short-term technical skills that AI will quickly absorb,” he said.
This emphasises the importance of the focus on emphasising developing soft skills, such as analysis and critical thinking, in the advent of AI across workforces.
But, it’s not just an issue in the corporate world – but something governments and policymakers can look at in terms of developing national upskilling programs.
Shellshear argued that funding directed towards soon-to-be-automated skills can lead to wasted time and money for both trainees and employers.
Building AI-ready HR strategies
For HR leaders, the takeaway is to build workforce strategies that separate tasks into two categories:
- AI-augmented tasks: activities that AI can perform or enhance, reducing the need for human involvement
- Human-exclusive tasks: areas where human judgement, empathy, and creativity remain essential
“HR teams need to identify where AI will take over, and where humans will continue to be critical,” said Speaker X. “That’s how you align recruitment, workforce planning, and training with the realities of AI.”
With AI also evolving at rapid pace, HR leaders cannot afford to be static when it comes to workplace planning.
“AI will inevitably transform again in two weeks’ time,” Shellshear cautioned. “The key is building adaptable foundations — focusing on human skills while integrating AI in ways that support, not replace, your people.”
