AI Drives Shift Toward Gig-Style Roles in White-Collar Work

AI is increasingly influencing the structure of white-collar employment, with companies adopting new models that rely more on gig-style arrangements and fewer traditional full-time positions.

Recent analyses from multiple organizations have outlined how AI is being integrated into workplace practices, leading to changes in hiring and job design. Some CEOs, according to a Forbes report, anticipate that AI could eventually replace up to half of white-collar workers in the United States, with many roles shifting to task-based, contract work supported by AI tools.

The transition often involves companies freezing traditional hiring, moving more work to contractors who use AI, and restructuring departments. Over time, these changes can result in a workforce composed of fewer full-time employees and a greater number of gig workers performing specialized tasks.

In the finance sector, the Brookings Institution described how generative AI has contributed to job redesign. For example, Klarna reduced its workforce by 700 employees but later rehired for hybrid roles that require both human oversight and contextual judgment, reflecting the evolving nature of job responsibilities as AI is adopted.

What the numbers show

• Frequent AI use at work nearly doubled in the past year, with daily use rising from 4% to 8%
• Workers with AI skills were paid 56% more than those without in 2024, up from 25% the previous year
• Frequent AI use among white-collar employees increased by 12 percentage points in one year

Reports have also highlighted notable changes in compensation linked to AI skills. According to a PwC-based study cited in The Irish Times, workers who possessed AI-related abilities received substantially higher pay, with the wage gap between those with and without AI skills widening from 25% to 56% in just one year.

Surveys cited by LionTree found that the proportion of workers using AI frequently in their jobs almost doubled within a year. The increase in daily AI use and a 12 percentage point rise among white-collar employees indicate a broader integration of AI into routine professional activities.

The Oxford Internet Institute has examined the integration of AI into various workplace settings, including those that rely on gig work. Its research documents how AI is being used to manage, allocate, and oversee tasks within both traditional and gig-based employment structures.

These developments suggest that AI is contributing to the reorganization of work, with companies adopting new employment models and placing greater emphasis on specialized skills related to AI. The trend is reflected in both the changing nature of job roles and the compensation patterns observed in recent studies.

* This article is based on publicly available information at the time of writing.