Artificial Intelligence is no longer a horizon technology—it has arrived and is already transforming the nature of work. As capabilities evolve from generative AI that augments human work to agentic AI capable of autonomous decision-making and complex task execution, organisations across every sector face both unprecedented opportunities and significant disruption.

Matrix, on behalf of the Northern Ireland Department for the Economy, commissioned this foresight-driven study to explore how Northern Ireland can position itself at the forefront of AI-driven economic transformation whilst addressing the profound societal and ethical questions arising from AI’s impact on work, workers, and the nature of employment itself.

The study had six objectives:

• Redefining workforce structure in an AI-powered economy. Exploring how entire industries and job roles could be redesigned as AI systems evolve from productivity tools to autonomous decision-makers and task performers, examining workforce structures needed to maximise human-AI synergy whilst preventing technological redundancy.

• Balancing workforce and AI capabilities. Assessing which sectors and roles in Northern Ireland are most susceptible to transformation, identifying both displacement risks and opportunities for new job creation, and evaluating re-skilling and adaptation strategies needed to ensure workforce competitiveness.

• Scenario planning. Developing plausible future scenarios with projected timeframes for how AI could reshape work across Northern Ireland, considering industry trends, skills demand, economic policy, and rates of adoption across business sectors.

• Economic and productivity implications of workforce transformation. Evaluating how AI adoption and workforce redesign could impact Northern Ireland’s GDP, sectoral growth, and overall productivity, assessing the economic case for investing in AI-driven transformation and how labour demand might change.

• Governance, ethics, and societal considerations. Identifying key risks associated with AI adoption including workforce inequalities, ethical considerations in AI decision-making, and governance challenges, providing foresight into policy approaches to ensure inclusive transition.

• Actionable strategies for Northern Ireland’s AI adoption. Providing a roadmap of interventions to maximise benefits of AI-driven workforce transformation, including policy recommendations, industry strategies, and education/training initiatives tailored to Northern Ireland’s unique context.