2025 will go down as the year when AI ceased to be a promise and became an economic, political and social reality. As the United States, China and Europe engage in a race for competitive advantage, companies, large and small, are reviewing their organizations and their skills needs.
It is in this context that Deel, the all-in-one HR platform that allows companies to hire, pay and manage talent in +150 countries, publishes its first global report on AI and the future of work. With more than 37,000 client companies and 1.5 million workers in 150 countries, the player has a unique position to observe these transformations. The observation is clear: AI is no longer a subject of innovation, it is an issue of economic sovereignty and massive reconfiguration of the labor market.
AI, already a large-scale transformation engine.
Less than three years after the democratization of generative AI, its impact on employment is obvious. According to the data analyzed in the report, the number of companies opening new positions linked to AI increased by 40% in 2025, growth driven by tech, but also finance, education and industry.
The effects are multiplying: changing job descriptions, budgets redirected towards AI skills, emergence of professions that were still unknown until recently. This transformation is accompanied by concern: 71% of employees say they are concerned about the risk of replacement.
However, AI is not limited to substitution. New categories of professions appear. The example of the role of the “AI Librarian”, responsible for training and verifying the knowledge bases used by AI tools, illustrates the way in which new profiles are structured around human supervision.
Global competition: towards a new geopolitics of talents.
The report also underlines that the dynamic of international cooperation now gives way to a logic of assumed competition. In the United States, the new action plan focuses on domestic innovation. China is increasing international initiatives. Europe is moving forward with the AI Act, the first structured regulation on the uses of AI, particularly in HR.
These political choices have a direct impact on the labor market. On Deel, between 2023 and 2024:
- positions including “AI” in their title increased by 585%,
- salaries for AI roles are 120% higher than average,
- 42% of AI recruits are between 25 and 34 years old,
- nearly 1,000 new AI trainer roles have emerged,
- AI recruitment increased by 30% in non-tech companies.
The Deel case: an example of responsible and operational adoption.
Deel does not limit herself to observing these mutations: she also experiences them. Its “OpenDeel” knowledge base, powered by more than 200 experts, secures compliance, international payroll and user assistance.
Some of the world’s largest AI references rely on the platform to manage their global teams. The start-up Hugging Face notably reduced its payment processing time by 50%, replaced five internal tools with one, and onboarded more than 70 employees in full compliance. A concrete use case that illustrates the importance of a solid global HR infrastructure.
The 4 AI modules that structure Deel’s strategy.
The report highlights four building blocks making up the AI architecture:
- Workforce Insightsto transform HR data into operational intelligence;
- Global Compliancewhich provides instant, verified answers on local laws in more than 150 countries;
- AI Workforcea hub allowing you to launch and manage AI agents dedicated to HR and payroll tasks;
- Product Supportintegrated AI assistants to streamline the user experience.
This set forms a coherent and responsible approach to AI in HR operations, meeting concrete needs for efficiency, compliance or support.
Recommendations to support the transformation.
- Train massively in AIfrom school and in the workplace.
- Helping SMEs to access AI with funding and testing environments.
- Strengthen transparency and the explainability of AI systems used in HR processes.
- Harmonize international standards to reduce fragmentation.
Towards a new work landscape.
The conclusion of the document is clear: the future of work is not being prepared, it is already being written. AI is reshuffling the cards, accelerating transformations and redefining essential skills.
And in this changing landscape, Deel has established itself as a key player, capable of supporting companies that must structure and manage a global workforce undergoing rapid transformation.
Find out how Deel can simplify your HR and payroll operationswherever your teams are located, using global and compliant solutions.
