Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Job Security: A Narrative Review of Risks, Resilience, and Policy Responses

This narrative review explores the transformative impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on job security, addressing the associated risks, workforce resilience, and policy responses. The purpose of the study is to synthesise current empirical and theoretical research on AI’s influence on employment, moving beyond deterministic projections of mass job loss to provide a nuanced understanding of sectoral, demographic, and ethical implications. The method involved a narrative review of 38 selected studies from academic and policy sources published between 2015 and 2025. The results reveal that AI is both displacing and augmenting jobs, with clerical, routine, and middle-management roles facing the highest risks of automation. Vulnerable groups include women, older workers, and those in low-wage sectors. Conversely, AI is driving job creation in fields such as data science, AI ethics, and cybersecurity. Case studies from companies like UPS, Klarna, Duolingo, and CrowdStrike illustrate diverse pathways of AI-driven job displacement and business restructuring. The review identifies significant skills gaps and highlights the urgent need for reskilling, inclusive lifelong learning, and human-AI collaboration models. Policy responses remain fragmented and reactive, underscoring the necessity for transparent, ethical AI governance and inclusive workforce strategies. The conclusion emphasises that AI’s impact on job security is not inevitable but contingent on proactive organisational and policy choices. A human-centred AI paradigm that prioritises transparency, fairness, and social equity is essential to harness AI’s potential while safeguarding workers’ dignity and agency.