How AI can help you compete in an era of skills disruption
Generative AI only entered the mainstream in November of 2022 with the release of ChatGPT, yet the cost to businesses of not adapting to the technology is already becoming existential.
Entire categories of work are being transformed by generative AI, and the organisations failing to act now risk falling irreversibly behind. Those gaining ground are not just buying tools either; they’re reimagining how people and technology work together.
We’ve already seen how this plays out in industries that moved early. Businesses that used AI to automate manual processes, turn data into advanced insights, and augment software development, now outpace rivals in speed, precision, and time to market. For the rest, the window to catch up is closing fast.
What’s being disrupted exactly?
According to McKinsey, generative AI could impact activities that currently consume up to 60–70% of employees’ time across various industries. The World Economic Forum estimates that 44% of workers' core skills will change within the next five years. That’s nearly half the average employee skillset, gone or at least radically remodelled.
This new paradigm is currently playing out across roles like software engineering, product design, and customer success. AI-powered tools are enhancing workflows as quickly as they're raising expectations. What used to take days now takes hours. What once required specialist intervention can be done with the right prompt.
Generative AI, originally vaunted for its ability to automate routine tasks, is now redefining creativity, judgement, and execution in real time.
How to compete, not just cope
Winning businesses have ceased treating AI as a threat and have begun to view it as a force multiplier.
Technical teams using tools like GitHub Copilot, Claude, and ChatGPT are pushing out code faster and with fewer errors. GitHub reports that Copilot users code up to 55% faster, while IBM and Adobe have both reported double-digit productivity improvements across software, marketing, and client services workflows thanks to embedded AI systems.
These aren’t edge cases. They are early signals of a fundamental shift. The conversation is moving on from whether or not to adopt AI to how deeply it’s integrated and how fast.
In product and engineering teams, AI is being used for automated test creation, performance optimisation, and code refactoring. In design, teams use AI to prototype interfaces in minutes. In customer support, AI-enabled assistants reduce response times and improve resolution accuracy.
From panic to preparedness
Skills disruption doesn’t have to mean team disruption. Every role is being redefined, but that doesn’t mean they’re being removed. Or even that they should be.
The real advantage lies in speed of adaptation. Which AI system should your team use now? Can your team reskill before your competition does? Can you realign structures before cracks appear? Panic is understandable. But preparedness is what separates leaders from the rest.
Preparedness means developing a workforce that’s ready to collaborate with AI, rather than use it as if it was just another tool. Because it isn’t just another tool. It means shifting from fixed roles to fluid capabilities. And it means rethinking not only who you hire, but how you enable them to deliver impact on Day One.
What AI-Ready looks like
AI-readiness starts with leadership. Forward-thinking companies are investing in workforce planning just as much as they are in technology procurement. Their teams are AI-fluent, built for flexibility, and focused on outcomes over job titles or rigid reporting lines.
And they expect the same from their partners. At BrightBox, we’re seeing increasing demand for associates who bring more than core technical expertise. They bring the ability to wield AI tools from day one, whether that’s generating test scripts, prototyping interfaces, or automating QA. This is the era of Integrated AI + Human Skills.
It’s agile, accountable, and augmentation-first.
It also an era that requires building ecosystems of people, partners, and platforms able to scale fluidly as needs evolve. Yes, you need talent, but you also need capabilities that can be switched on as required.
Take the first step
If you're unsure where to start, join our upcoming webinar. Learn how leading CTOs and product heads are turning AI from a disruption into a growth engine with the right people, skills, and mindset.
