By 2030, the world of work will be very different from what we know today.
According to the Future of Jobs Report 2025 by the World Economic Forum, the advance of artificial intelligence, automation, and the green transition will lead to a profound transformation of the labor market: it is estimated that 92 million jobs will disappear, but over 170 million new positions will be created.¹
This change does not only concern the quantity of work, but above all the quality of the skills required.
The weight of automation
Automation is not a threat in itself, but an accelerator of transformation.
Many repetitive or manual jobs will be progressively replaced by intelligent systems, while roles related to data analysis, sustainability, and food technologies will emerge.
However, the WEF emphasizes that even traditional sectors like catering and culinary craftsmanship will continue to require irreplaceable human skills: the ability to perceive, create, and interpret the sensory and cultural experience of food.²
Transforming skills
The most significant figure concerns skills: 39% of the skills required today will become obsolete by 2030.³
This means that almost four out of ten skills will no longer be current.
What will grow, instead, is the demand for critical thinking, resilience, emotional intelligence, and above all, the ability to learn continuously.
Automation eliminates tasks, but it does not replace curiosity, adaptability, and creativity.
According to a study published on arXiv (Stephany & Teutloff, 2022), skills related to AI increase the average wage of workers by 21%, precisely because they integrate with pre-existing knowledge and do not cancel it out.⁴
Value, therefore, arises from the combination of technical knowledge and human sensitivity.
The value of training in food
In this scenario, culinary professions take on a new meaning.
Cooking, pastry-making, and bread-making are not just manual arts, but laboratories of complex skills: precision, scientific knowledge, process management, teamwork, communication, and creativity.
These are disciplines in which the hand and the mind work together, and where automation can support, but not replace, experience.
Those who choose a Higher Education path in food today are investing in concrete skills that combine theory, practice, and gastronomic culture.
And above all, they are training in a sector where the demand for qualified professionals remains high, driven by growing attention to sustainability, health, and the quality of raw materials.
Food and AI: collaboration, not substitution
Even in gastronomy, artificial intelligence is entering quietly: analysis of food flows, waste control, traceability, menu optimization, and study of consumer behavior.
But the real difference remains in the human touch, in sensory judgment, and in the ability to create emotion through food.
Technology therefore becomes a support tool, not a substitute.
Training to remain relevant
The future of work is not just a matter of algorithms. It is the ability to transform knowledge into value.
In a changing world, training remains the key to not standing still.
Choosing a professional career path in food today means entering a sector that will continue to evolve, but which will always need capable, curious, and aware people.
📍 Congusto Institute trains new generations of cooks, pastry chefs, and bakers, combining technique, culture, and a contemporary vision of the profession.
👉 Discover the Higher Education courses starting soon
Sources:
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World Economic Forum, Future of Jobs Report 2025
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WEF, Jobs of Tomorrow: The Triple Returns of Social Jobs, 2025
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WEF, Future of Jobs Report 2025 — Skills Outlook 2030
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Stephany F., Teutloff O. (2022), AI Exposure and Labour Market Outcomes, arXiv.org
