Four hundred and twenty-five thousand jobs have been lost due to causes directly or indirectly linked to AI in the last three years—142,000 of which in Europe alone, according to the website ailayoffs.live—and one in four are at risk globally in the coming years. The warning issued by Consumers' Forum paints a picture of a labor market completely revolutionized by artificial intelligence.

As reported by the International Labour Organization, cited by Consumers' Forum—an independent body comprising consumer groups, industrial and service companies, and their trade associations—25% of global employment is in professions potentially exposed to AI, with higher percentages in high-income countries (34%). Essentially, one in four workers could be replaced by a machine in the coming years.

The professions most at risk are those that involve repetitive tasks and easily automated digital and text-based components: administrative assistants, customer care and call centers, bank and postal workers, cashiers, and translators.

But how much is the AI market worth in Italy? According to Consumers' Forum, it's €1.8 billion, a 50% increase from 2024. Consequently, knowing how to master prompts and algorithms is increasingly crucial for those entering the workforce: according to a study by the Polytechnic University of Milan, the number of job postings requiring AI-related skills in Italy grew by 93% in 2025. Technology is not limited to the office; it's also affecting other aspects of citizens' daily lives: a third of Italians already use AI to guide their online purchases. This represents a potential annual value of approximately €22 billion, considering the national e-commerce market (goods and services) in 2026.

But there are also costs. The impact of artificial intelligence on the environment and sustainability is steadily growing, with the International Energy Agency predicting that global electricity consumption in data centers will double by 2030. From 415 terawatt-hours in 2024, it will reach 945 terawatt-hours: 3% of all global electricity. Consumers' Forum notes that, currently, AI data centers already generate between 2.5 and 3.7% of global greenhouse gas emissions. And these numbers are also expected to grow.

(Unioneonline)

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