AI & Tech · Rome and Brussels
AI-driven layoffs near half a million as ILO warns one in four jobs at risk
A global job tracker reports 425,000 workers laid off due to AI over three years, while the International Labour Organization projects a quarter of all jobs could be automated, hitting high-income countries hardest.
AI text based on reports by Rai news, Il Messaggero, ANSA.it and other publishers. Published . How it is made
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In brief
Direct and indirect AI-related layoffs over three years, with 142,000 in Europe alone, according to ailayoffs.live.
ILO data shows 25% of global employment faces automation risk, rising to 34% in high-income countries.
Jeff Bezos argues AI will bring a 'golden age,' while Pope Leo XIV, Giorgia Meloni and others raise concerns.
IEA forecasts data center electricity demand doubling by 2030 to 945 TWh, and AI already accounts for 2.5–3.7% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
The Italian AI market reached €1.8 billion (+50% vs 2024), and job ads requiring AI skills jumped 93% in 2025.
Job loss data
The global workforce has shed nearly half a million positions to AI in three years. The tracker ailayoffs.live records 425,000 layoffs directly or indirectly attributed to AI, including 142,000 in Europe. This data, cited by Consumers' Forum, underscores an accelerating shift.
- Global
- 425000 jobs
- Europe
- 142000 jobs
Data from the article text
At-risk occupations
According to the International Labour Organization, 25% of global employment falls into occupations highly exposed to AI automation. In high-income economies that share rises to 34%. The roles most threatened involve repetitive and digital tasks: administrative support, customer care, call center operations, bank and postal clerks, cashiers, and translators.
Contrasting outlooks
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos rejects the alarm.
“People are jumping to the conclusion that jobs will disappear. But I think they are wrong.”
He told the Financial Times he expects a "golden age" from AI. However, institutional voices remain cautious: Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Pope Leo XIV, and Bank of Italy Governor Fabio Panetta have all voiced concerns about how societies will manage this transition.
Italy's AI boom
The Italian AI market has grown to €1.8 billion, a 50% increase from 2024, according to Consumers' Forum. Meanwhile, demand for AI skills in the job market is surging: a Politecnico di Milano study found that in 2025, the number of job advertisements requiring AI competencies jumped by 93% in Italy.
Environmental footprint
The International Energy Agency projects that global electricity consumption by data centers will double by 2030, from 415 terawatt-hours in 2024 to 945 TWh (3% of all global electricity). AI data centers already contribute between 2.5% and 3.7% of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions, and that figure is set to rise. Consumers' Forum plans to discuss these challenges next week in Brussels with MEP Brando Benifei, rapporteur for the EU's AI Act.
- 2024
- 415 TWh
- 2030 (projected)
- 945 TWh
Data from the article text
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Sources and context
- Rai newsL'IA si abbatte sul mondo del lavoro: già 425mila licenziati
- Il Messaggero"L'intelligenza artificiale ha tagliato mezzo milione di posti di lavoro", le minacce della rivoluzione digitale (da occupazione a ambiente)
- ANSA.itVerso mezzo milione di persone già licenziate, il prezzo alto dell'IA - Notizie
- Tgcom24L'Intelligenza Artificiale si abbatte sul mondo del lavoro: "Già 425mila licenziati"
- Jeff Bezos
- Amazon founder; told Financial Times AI will bring a 'golden age'
- Giorgia Meloni
- Italian Prime Minister; raised concerns about AI's impact
- Pope Leo XIV
- Pope; voiced concerns about AI's societal implications
- Fabio Panetta
- Governor of the Bank of Italy; commented on AI transition challenges
- Brando Benifei
- Member of the European Parliament; rapporteur for the EU AI Act
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