SEOUL — According to a recent global analysis, approximately 30% of employees who lose their jobs to artificial intelligence by 2029 will likely be rehired by their companies, albeit at a significantly higher cost. This forecast serves as a stern warning against the excessive downsizing driven by corporations viewing AI solely as a tool for cost reduction.

On October 1, research firm Gartner released its "2026 Hype Cycle for the Future of Work," outlining this major shift in corporate strategy. As early AI investments enter the "Trough of Disillusionment" due to underwhelming returns, experts emphasize that leveraging technology to enhance human expertise and creativity has become far more critical than mere automation.

The Pitfalls of Short-Term Cost-Cutting

Gartner predicts that by next year, 75% of companies prioritizing short-term cost savings through AI productivity gains will be outperformed by competitors who reinvest those gains into innovation and employee empowerment. Building a foundation to implement new AI use cases faster, more cost-effectively, and securely is paramount.

While aggressive layoffs may yield immediate financial benefits, Gartner warns they erode talent pipelines and destroy institutional knowledge. As slowing labor growth intensifies the competition for skilled talent, companies will face soaring recruitment, training, and onboarding expenses.

Key Strategies: "Talent Remix" and Human-Centric AI

To navigate these structural shifts, organizations must adapt through four core pillars:

Enhancing capabilities through human-AI collaboration.
Cultivating "AI-ready" talent capable of adapting to rapid changes.
Preserving contextual understanding and human judgment.
Establishing a foundation for sustainable value accumulation.
Rather than treating AI as a replacement, companies should utilize it as a "work companion" to complement human judgment, creativity, and leadership. Associated technologies include employee AI avatars, digital coaching, digital employee twins, and emotional AI. Furthermore, as AI integrates deeper into daily operations, Gartner recommends maintaining strict human oversight and designing systems where workers understand not just how tasks are executed, but why.

Tori Paulman, VP Analyst at Gartner, noted, "Companies and IT leaders using AI primarily for cost-cutting risk executing premature and excessive layoffs. Organizations must design a 'talent remix' strategy that redesigns job roles using AI and transitions workers from low-productivity tasks into new opportunities."

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