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Technology creates new opportunities by helping people and businesses do some work more productively, reach new markets, deliver services in new ways, and build skills for changing jobs. But it does not guarantee more jobs or equal gains: technologies can also automate tasks, displace workers, or leave people behind when access, training, and support are limited.
How does technology create opportunities?
Technology creates opportunity through several connected changes. A tool may make an existing task faster, enable a business to serve customers it could not reach before, or make an entirely new product or service possible. As companies adopt those tools, the tasks people do and the skills employers seek can change too.
It can raise productivity
Digital tools can help firms coordinate work, use data to make decisions, or automate routine steps. When a business can produce more or serve customers more efficiently, it may have room to expand, improve a service, or redirect employees toward work that still needs human judgment. The World Bank’s 2019 World Development Report describes technology as a source of productivity gains and new jobs, while emphasizing that workers need capabilities such as problem solving, teamwork, and adaptability.
It can open markets and new ways to work
E-commerce can let a small firm present products to customers beyond its immediate area. Remote-work tools can make it possible to coordinate with colleagues or clients in other places. Digital platforms can connect service providers and customers, while online services can reach people without requiring a traditional in-person location. These are pathways to opportunity, not guarantees of sales, contracts, or business success. The World Intellectual Property Report 2026 discusses how digital technology can expand market access, while noting that the gains are unevenly distributed.
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It can create new products, services, and tasks
New technology can make some activities possible that were previously too costly or impractical. That can create demand for new services and for people who design, implement, maintain, or support them. It can also change existing jobs by shifting time away from routine tasks and toward tasks that depend on judgment, communication, or relationships. The OECD’s 2016 analysis of digital transformation describes job opportunities in new markets and in some existing occupations, alongside risks for workers exposed to unemployment or lower wages.
Does technology create jobs or replace them?
It can do both, sometimes at the same time. Automation may reduce demand for people to perform particular tasks, while new markets and changed production create demand for other tasks. Even when an occupation remains, its duties and required skills may shift. The relevant question is therefore not simply whether a technology “creates jobs,” but which tasks change, who can move into emerging work, and how the transition is managed.
There is no single global net-job figure established by the sources cited here. Employer expectations about future change and technology-adoption rates describe different things; neither measures the number of jobs technology will ultimately add or remove. Outcomes depend on how broadly firms adopt a tool, whether workers can access training and complementary resources, and how businesses and institutions respond.
What do recent technology indicators tell us?
These figures show expectations and adoption in specific settings. They are not forecasts of net employment gains.
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| Measure | Reported figure | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Employers expecting broadening digital access to transform their business | 60% of surveyed employers | A World Economic Forum Future of Jobs Survey expectation, reported in 2025—not a measured transformation rate. Source |
| Employers expecting AI and information-processing technologies to transform their business by 2030 | 86% of surveyed employers | A future expectation recorded by the World Economic Forum in 2025, not a count of jobs created. Source |
| Businesses in the European Union using AI technologies | 20% in 2025 | An EU business-adoption measure published by Eurostat in 2026; it does not establish employment effects. Source |
| EU citizens lacking basic or above-basic digital skills | 40% in 2025 | A regional skills measure: it applies to the European Union, not the world. Source |
Which skills help people benefit from new technology?
There is no single digital skill that guarantees a job. The useful mix depends on the work, the technology being adopted, and local labor demand. The OECD’s 2024 discussion of skills for the digital age points to foundational, information and communication technology (ICT), and complementary skills. The International Labour Organization’s 2026 analysis also emphasizes that the skill mix varies by occupation and that cognitive, social, and managerial abilities can complement technology.
- Foundational skills: reading, numeracy, and the ability to learn new procedures help people use digital tools reliably.
- Technical skills: the relevant capabilities may range from using workplace software to maintaining or building technology, depending on the occupation.
- Complementary skills: problem solving, communication, teamwork, adaptability, and sound judgment can matter when tools handle routine work but people must interpret results or coordinate with others.
A practical approach is to start with the tasks required in a target job or business, then identify the tools used for those tasks and the skills employers or customers actually request. Build those capabilities through practice and ongoing learning rather than assuming one course or credential will secure a particular outcome.
How can a business turn technology into an opportunity?
Adoption is most useful when it solves a real operational or customer problem. Before investing in a tool, a business can assess:
- The task: Which step will be automated or supported, and which decisions will still require a person?
- The expected improvement: Will the change save time, improve service, help make better-informed decisions, or connect the business to customers it could not otherwise reach?
- Access and readiness: Do workers and customers have the infrastructure, time, and support needed to use the tool?
- Skills and learning: What training is needed, who will provide it, and how will staff learn as the tool or job changes?
- Distribution of benefits and costs: Who gains from the productivity improvement, and who bears the cost of changed duties or reduced demand?
- Work quality: Could the change affect pay, workload, autonomy, or worker protections?
For example, an online storefront may broaden a local seller’s potential reach, but reaching customers still depends on the product, logistics, service, and ability to operate the channel. A remote-work platform may make coordination across locations possible, but it does not by itself ensure suitable work, fair pay, or reliable access for everyone. These examples illustrate mechanisms identified by the World Bank and WIPO, not guaranteed results.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why are the gains unequal?
People and businesses cannot take advantage of tools they cannot access, afford, or use effectively. Connectivity, equipment, training, time to adapt, and local demand all shape who can participate. Differences in these conditions help explain why a technology may expand markets while concentrating the benefits among firms or workers best positioned to adopt it. The EU digital-skills figure above illustrates one regional gap; it should not be treated as a global estimate.
Skills matter, but they are not the only response to disruption. Workers may need time and support to move into changing roles, while employers and public institutions have a role in managing transitions and protecting job quality. The OECD and ILO analyses both underline that opportunity and exposure can coexist.
How to judge whether a technology is creating a real opportunity
Look beyond the novelty of the tool. A useful opportunity has a clear benefit for a task, service, or market and a plausible path for people to participate in that benefit. Consider what changes in the work, what learning is required, whether access is realistic, and how the gains and transition costs are shared. Technology can widen what people and businesses are able to do; whether that potential becomes good work and lasting growth depends on adoption choices and the support around them.
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