Intelligent automation and the future of work: disruption or opportunity?
The combination of RPA automation and artificial intelligence is driving a deep and ongoing transformation in the world of work. More than just automating repetitive tasks, this new generation of solutions, merging software bots with AI models, is redefining processes, structures, and professional roles.
Smart bots are no longer limited to filling out spreadsheets or sending emails. With integrated AI, they can analyze data, make decisions, interact with complex systems, and even understand natural language. It’s a new era of automation: more flexible, more cognitive, more strategic.
Replacement or transformation?
According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), around 25% of global jobs are potentially exposed to AI-based automation. But this doesn’t mean mass extinction, it means reconfiguration. The World Economic Forum projects that by 2030, 22% of jobs will undergo structural changes, with 170 million new roles emerging while 92 million will disappear.
In other words, the challenge is not just to avoid obsolescence, but to understand how tasks will be redistributed. Automation doesn’t eliminate humans, it repositions them. It frees up talent from operational execution and calls them to critical thinking, supervision, and process design.
Accelerating sectors
Fields like finance, human resources, legal, logistics, and customer service are among the most impacted. RPA and AI-powered software are already performing tasks such as bank reconciliations, contract validations, résumé screening, and much more, with scale, accuracy, and speed.
The trend is clear: automation will become an integral part of teams. The professional of the future won’t compete with robots, they’ll coordinate them.
This demands a new mindset: understanding end-to-end processes, mastering automation tools, and actively participating in workflow reinvention.
Companies need to act… now!
Ignoring the advance of intelligent automation is no longer a safe option. Companies leading this transformation are reaping the benefits of efficiency, scalability, and strategic focus.
Those that resist face real risks: rigid processes, high operational costs, and low innovation capacity.
At Verzel, we already apply RPA with AI in solutions that deliver real value to our clients and also in the continuous improvement of our internal processes. Technology doesn't replace vision, it enhances those who have it.
The future of work has already begun. It will be hybrid, intelligent, and radically different from what we know. Those who don’t adapt will be left behind.
Sources:
International Labour Organization (ILO): Generative AI could transform one in four jobs globally
World Economic Forum: The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on the Job Market: What to Expect