While artificial intelligence poses risks to some occupations, it is more likely to transform how work is performed than eliminate jobs, according to a report released Tuesday by the San Diego Workforce Partnership
Even so, “these shifts are already surfacing uneven labor market advantages across workers, occupations and neighborhoods, making workforce planning and resourcing critical to navigating the AI transition,” the report’s authors wrote
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The report, “Innovation & the Future of Work: Artificial Intelligence and the Human Value of San Diego’s Workforce,” examines what these shifts mean for local labor and employers
“San Diego has a winning combination for tackling the most complex social impact challenges head-on — radical collaboration and courageous innovation,” said Rachel Bereza, president and CEO of the San Diego Workforce Partnership. “Our charge in the age of AI will be centering the unique value proposition of being human as our compass in navigating changes to workforce expectations
“While none of us are immune to the impacts of these changes, all of us can take comfort in the call to action from this report for compassionate people to collaborate and ensure all San Diegans benefit from the opportunities AI presents.”
In 2025, San Diego County recorded around 11,000 AI-related job postings, with the share of roles requiring AI skills surging from 16 per 1,000 non-AI postings in 2023 to 33 per 1,000 in 2025, the authors found
These jobs do not present themselves equally, as those workers in roles “with high AI exposure and strong adaptive capacity” are more likely to be able to adapt. Those in roles “with lower adaptive capacity” could face significantly lower wages, longer job transitions and even job displacement
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“AI presents opportunities for San Diego’s economy, but those opportunities will not reach everybody automatically,” said San Diego County Supervisor Monica Montgomery Steppe, chair of the SDWP Policy Board. “As we embrace new technology, we have to continue putting people first. As a region, we must be intentional about helping workers adapt, especially those in jobs most likely to change and those already facing barriers to economic mobility
“This report gives us a practical starting point to align our collective retunities ahead.”
More than 440,000 San Diegans have roles considered “lower-adaptive-capacity,” which the workforce partnership says underscores the need for targeted workforce support
The report’s authors said regional collaboration among employers, education providers, workforce organizations, community partners, and public agencies will be needed to “enhance service delivery to reach disconnected workers and align training to employer demand.” The report calls for a coordinated regional response pairing AI literacy and sector-specific training with career navigation, work-based learning, supportive services and geographically accessible workforce re
“AI is creating a lot of uncertainty, but uncertainty isn’t a reason to stand still,” said Efrem Bycer, vice chair of the SDWP Workforce Development Board. “Research like this provides a common starting point for action and collaboration so we can prepare workers, strengthen pathways into opportunity, and respond together. San Diego has always been strongest when we tackle big challenges together, and that’s exactly what this moment requires.”
Beyond the specific recommendations, the report also emphasizes the continued importance of human-centered skills such as judgment, communication, collaboration, empathy, and relationship-building, which AI is not yet incapable of replicating
