AI Will Destabilize Jobs, the Middle Class and the Welfare State Unless We Act in Time By Isabel Ortiz and Bill Shoulder Copyright © 2026 IPS-Inter Press Service. All rights reserved. -

AI Will Destabilize Jobs, the Middle Class and the Welfare State Unless We Act in Time By Isabel Ortiz and Bill Shoulder https://www.ipsnews.net/2026/06/ai-will-destabilize-jobs-the-middle-class-and-the-welfare-state-unless-we-act-in-time/ NEW YORK, Jun 26 2026 (IPS) - Artificial intelligence (AI) promises remarkable gains in productivity, science, medicine and education. But it is also poised to wipe out millions of jobs, hollow out the middle class, and drain the tax revenues that pay for hospitals, schools and pensions. The process has already begun, and the time to act is running out. GlobalSouth News The International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimates that AI will affect almost 40% of jobs worldwide. In advanced economies, around 60% of jobs are exposed and as many as one in three (33%) human jobs are at high risk of being replaced by AI. In emerging markets, about 40% are exposed, with roughly one in four (24%) at high displacement risk; and in low-income countries, an estimated 26%, with close to one in five (18%) human jobs lost to AI. Copyright © 2026 IPS-Inter Press Service. All rights reserved. -