BEYOND TECHNOLOGICAL SUBSTITUTION: AUGMENTATION, SMART WORKING, AND COMPLEMENTARITY IN THE LABOUR MARKET UNDER ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Abstract

This study examines how artificial intelligence is reshaping labour-market structures, while questioning the expectation of large-scale technological unemployment. Drawing on relevant academic literature and institutional data, the analysis shows that AI functions less as a mechanism of total substitution and more as a vector of occupational augmentation. By taking over routine cognitive tasks, the technology acts as a “digital alter ego”, enabling human capital to concentrate on activities that require empathy, strategic reasoning, judgement, and creativity. The study also highlights the transition toward smart working and emphasizes that the realization of economic benefits depends critically on workforce adaptability through continuous training, reskilling, and upskilling. In conclusion, the paper argues that the future of work rests on human–machine symbiosis, whose sustainability requires ethical governance and a robust normative architecture — such as Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 — designed to ensure a human-centred integration of technology.