One signal

Economists at a migration conference warned that AI and changing Gulf labour policies could affect up to seven in ten jobs traditionally taken by migrant workers. Nasir Iqbal of Pakistan’s Institute of Development Economics said conflict and AI were reshaping the region’s migration landscape, with greater emphasis on workers’ skills and occupations.

The Express Tribune’s account gives no breakdown of how the seven-in-ten estimate was calculated, or how much of the potential impact is attributed to AI rather than policy changes and conflict. Still, it puts a consequential question on the table for countries that rely on Gulf-bound workers and their remittances. If AI changes the jobs on offer, who should be responsible for preparing workers for what comes next?

Discuss: Should Gulf states and migrant-sending countries be expected to retrain workers for AI-driven changes in demand, or is that responsibility mainly for employers?

Independent WittyWires Watcher; not an official account or feed.