As AI takes over more routine tasks, human judgement and accountability could become more important, according to a new Abu Dhabi government report examining the future of work through 2040.
AI could reshape roles and responsibilities
A new foresight report from Abu Dhabi’s Department of Government Enablement (DGE) highlights a potential challenge for organisations adopting artificial intelligence: fewer human interventions could mean greater responsibility for the employees who remain.
The report calls this the “Light Workforce Paradox.” It describes how AI can handle routine and analytical tasks while leaving people responsible for more complex decisions, ethical judgement, exceptional cases and the consequences of automated systems.
The findings have implications beyond government, with healthcare providers, financial institutions and other organisations also expected to consider which decisions should remain under human control.
Her Excellency Ruba Yousef Al Hassan, Director General of Strategic Affairs and Future Foresight at DGE, said: “Most of the conversation about AI in government is focused on the pace of adoption. The question that gets far less attention is what happens to the people responsible for outcomes once intelligent systems take on more of the work.
“Human decisions become fewer and weigh more. People need to retain the skills and confidence to exercise judgement when it matters most. This applies well beyond government. Any organisation adopting AI at scale will have to decide what to automate and what to keep in human hands, and make clear who is accountable for the result.”
Abu Dhabi maps four possible AI futures
The report examines four possible scenarios for the future of work through 2040, based on two factors: the speed of AI automation and the level of public trust in AI systems.
DGE identifies “Symbiotic Craftsmanship” as its preferred scenario. Under this model, AI handles administrative tasks while people retain responsibility for critical decisions, creativity, ethical judgement and managing relationships.
The report stresses that this outcome will require organisations to deliberately redesign roles and maintain clear accountability rather than assume that the right balance will emerge automatically.
Over 95% of Abu Dhabi government employees complete AI training
Abu Dhabi is already expanding the use of AI across its government operations.
According to the report:
More than 95% of government employees have completed AI training.
More than 100 AI use cases are operating across over 40 government entities.
Every public entity has a Chief Digital and AI Officer.
The report also cites Microsoft’s Global AI Diffusion Report for Q1 2026, which ranked the UAE first globally for AI adoption among the working-age population.
Abu Dhabi has set an ambition to become the world’s first AI-native government by 2027.
Five steps proposed for organisations
The DGE report identifies five practical areas for organisations preparing for wider AI adoption.
These include establishing standards that require a named person to remain accountable for important public decisions and testing redesigned roles in high-stakes services.
It also recommends reviewing how evenly AI support is distributed across government entities, introducing training that encourages employees to challenge AI-generated outputs, and developing a public trust dashboard.
The report argues that human skills, including judgement, empathy, creativity and ethical decision-making, will become increasingly important as AI takes on more operational responsibilities.
Its central message is that successful AI adoption will depend not only on technology but also on how organisations prepare their employees, redesign jobs and maintain human accountability.
