WorkSeptember 17, 2026via Financial Times Technology
Where do new jobs come from?
Why it matters
As AI automates specialized tasks, the labor market may shift toward generalist roles and broader skill sets. This challenges how practitioners think about workforce development, hiring, and career paths in an AI-transformed economy.
Key signals
- Analysis of historical specialization trend in labor markets
- Argument that AI automation could reverse centuries-old economic pattern
- Implications for job creation and skill requirements
- Published September 2026 — forward-looking analysis
- Historical trend toward specialization may reverse due to AI automation
- Implications for labor economics and job market structure
- FT analysis of long-term workforce transformation
- Published September 2026 (forward-looking economic commentary)
The hook
The centuries-old trend towards job specialization could be reversing — and AI is the reason.
The centuries-old trend towards specialisation could be about to reverse