For the past several years, artificial intelligence’s impact on employment has been framed almost entirely as an automation story, and not a particularly happy one: which jobs will disappear, which occupations are most vulnerable and how quickly machines might replace human workers.

Those are real concerns, to be sure. But they are increasingly pulling employers’ attention away from a more immediate workforce challenge: The U.S. labor market is constrained less by a lack of opportunity than by a lack of mobility, a problem that becomes more urgent as the pace of labor-market change accelerates.

Across healthcare, education, public service, skilled trades and caregiving, employers continue to struggle to fill critical positions. At the same time, workers in other sectors face growing uncertainty as economic conditions, technological change and shifting business models reshape demand for labor. The central challenge is no longer whether jobs and careers exist but whether people can find and transition into them quickly enough.

For HR leaders, this distinction is critical. In this environment, an organization must be able to identify talent beyond traditional recruiting channels and connect workers with opportunities they may never have otherwise considered.

This is where AI may deliver one of its most significant and underappreciated workforce benefits.

Reducing friction, furthering careers

Most discussions about AI still center on which tasks technology can automate. The more useful conversation may be about how AI can remove the barriers that keep workers from reaching the jobs where they are most needed.

Historically, career transitions have been remarkably difficult. Workers often have limited visibility into occupations outside their existing industries, and employers frequently default to hiring candidates who have similar backgrounds to those they’ve hired before. Education requirements, credential screens and experience filters narrow applicant pools even further.

The result is a labor market that leaves opportunity on the table.

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