WEF 2026: AI To Reshape Work By Enhancing Human Roles, Not Replacing Them

Artificial intelligence will not eliminate human jobs but will fundamentally reshape the way work is done by automating tasks and supporting employees at scale, senior technology executives said at the World Economic Forum (WEF) 2026 in Davos.

Speaking during a panel discussion, Kian Katanforoosh, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Workera, cautioned against the language used to describe AI.

He argued that portraying AI as a co-worker or agent can be misleading, as current systems excel at specific tasks rather than entire jobs.

Humans, he said, routinely handle hundreds of tasks, something AI is still far from achieving. Predictions of large-scale job replacement, he added, have so far proved inaccurate.

Augmentation Over Replacement

Munjal Shah, Co-founder and CEO of Hippocratic AI, echoed this view, stating that AI will augment human employees on a massive scale rather than replace them.

He envisioned a future where billions of people work alongside tens of billions of AI systems, most of which will enable new applications instead of displacing existing roles.

Citing a real-world example, Shah described an AI system deployed during a heatwave that contacted thousands of people to guide them to cooler locations and share health advice.

He stressed that such systems require extensive validation, with multiple layers of checks to ensure reliability.

Kate Kallot, Founder and CEO of Amini, underlined that AI remains a tool and cannot make value-based decisions.

According to her, machines lack the contextual and ethical inputs needed to determine what constitutes the best outcome in complex situations.

Christoph Schweizer, CEO of BCG, noted that while working with AI may increasingly feel like collaborating with a colleague, success depends less on the technology itself and more on how organisations adapt.

He emphasised that leaders must treat AI adoption as a priority rather than delegate it.

Enrique Lores, President and CEO of HP, called for balance in the use of AI, warning against holding AI systems to harsher standards than human workers.

He said that although AI in HP’s call centres occasionally delivers incorrect responses, overall accuracy and customer satisfaction have improved.

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