Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming the global world of work, raising fundamental questions about the future of human labour. While AI-driven automation offers significant opportunities for efficiency, innovation, and the creation of new industries, it simultaneously poses risks of large-scale job displacement, widening inequalities, and ethical challenges. This paper critically examines the dual impact of AI on human work, with particular attention to the balance between displacement and job creation, the changing nature of skills demand, and the emergence of human–AI collaboration as a new paradigm for productivity. Drawing on global debates and contextualizing them within small and developing economies such as Fiji and the Pacific, the analysis highlights both the vulnerabilities of low-skilled labour markets and the transformative potential of AI in reshaping education, healthcare, agriculture, and governance. The paper argues that the future of work will not be characterized by the complete replacement of human labour, but rather by its reconfiguration through reskilling, adaptability, and ethical governance. By proposing pathways that emphasize inclusive education, digital literacy, ethical AI frameworks, and policies that safeguard equity, this paper contributes to ongoing scholarship on ensuring that technological progress enhances human resilience rather than undermines it. Ultimately, the integration of AI into the labour market presents both risks and opportunities, and the outcomes will depend on how societies prepare, adapt, and innovate in response to this rapidly evolving technological frontier.

Artificial Intelligence, Future of Work, Human Labour, Job Displacement, Reskilling, Human–AI Collaboration, Digital Literacy, Ethical AI, Fiji, Pacific

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