Companies without a clear Artificial Intelligence strategy could end up being the equivalent of horse-powered businesses when the motor vehicle was introduced, a leading AI expert has warned.
Janos Barberis told an audience that businesses must anticipate change rather than try to resist it. Those that ignored the rise of AI risked becoming irrelevant, he said.
Barberis was speaking at a panel discussion organised by the Malta Business Network which explored how emerging technological advancements, economic uncertainty, and demographic changes will reshape the workforce in the coming decade.
Moderator Fabianne Ruggier, a business growth advisor, introduced the session by referencing the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025.
The report highlights that 22% of jobs will be disrupted by 2030 - mostly through AI, with 170 million new roles being created and 92 million displaced, leading to a net increase of 78 million jobs.
Apart from Barberis, who co-founded Supercharger Ventures, the panel was made up of tech business expert Joseph Sultana, founder of Infomate Group and a director at multiple companies and Ruth DeBrincat, senior director at the National Skills Council.
Barberis predicted that AI will replace or drastically alter the jobs of 99% of those in the audience over the next 20 years.
“It’s not really just AI replacing people, but it’s also people using AI that are replacing others,” he said.
Sultana emphasised the importance of reskilling the workforce to stay ahead of the rapidly evolving technological landscape.
“We cannot wish AI away. The key is to collaborate between employers and the state to facilitate reskilling on a large scale to adapt to this new reality,” Sultana said.
He also posed an important question: Are educational programs evolving fast enough to equip workers for the future, or are we still producing professionals whose roles may soon be obsolete?
DeBrincat pointed to the growing importance of resilience, agility, and analytical thinking in the workforce, as revealed in consultations with employers.
She also referenced a recent survey of 15-year-olds which indicated that many are increasingly interested in careers outside traditional or high-remuneration professions. Career guidance must adapt to that, she said.
DeBrincat invited business leaders to take part in a March 5 workshop focused on identifying skills shortages in the workforce.
“Policy cannot be developed in isolation,” DeBrincat said. “We need business leaders to be involved in the conversation.”