Tools & Platforms
Using AI to advance skills-first hiring
The deployment of artificial intelligence is already transforming the world of work, with emerging effects that include the displacement of entry-level workers, rising demand for new AI skills, and fundamental changes in how tasks are executed across industries. AI’s undoubtedly dramatic future impact is not just a function of the technology, but also of how individuals and institutions choose to use it. So, how might we use this engine of disruption—and opportunity—to shift its trajectory toward inclusive outcomes in the labor market?
For decades, the bachelor’s degree has served as a proxy for employability for many middle- and high-wage jobs, effectively screening workers who are skilled through alternative routes (“STARs”) out of key economic mobility opportunities. Now, with the enhanced technological capabilities of generative AI, we can do better. We have the opportunity to replace that blunt proxy with something far more precise: a dynamic assessment of the actual skills of our workforce, as well as a better understanding of how workers acquire and deploy them in real time. Used this way, AI could just as well stand for “amplified intention.” If applied equitably and transparently, AI can help shift hiring systems from exclusion to inclusion—redefining opportunity in the 21st century labor market.
Wires crossed: Understanding the broken labor market
Before we assess how AI can change the world of work for the better, we must first examine the forces that led to today’s broken labor market. Today, over 70 million STARs form the backbone of the U.S. workforce. STARs were once the drivers and beneficiaries of a tremendous surge in upward economic mobility in the decades following World War II. However, in the early 2000s, upward mobility stalled, with deleterious effects on talent pipelines, family incomes, and the broader contract with the American working class. Much of this decline was the result of companies responding to changing technologies with talent management practices that had unintended and often unacknowledged consequences.
In Opportunity@Work’s recently published “State of the Paper Ceiling” report, we explain that between 2000 and 2019, a “paper ceiling”—invisible barriers such as degree screens, biased algorithms, stereotyping, and exclusive professional networking—caused STARs to lose access to almost 7.5 million jobs that had traditionally provided pathways to upward mobility. This happened despite the fact that over 30 million STARs demonstrated skills for higher-wage jobs, as employers changed core business practices and began to rely on flawed algorithms to sort through applications and identify and evaluate talent.
Rewiring the system: Progress in skills-first hiring proves what’s possible
“State of the Paper Ceiling” offers a perspective on how to reverse this harm and expand upward mobility, with implications for our use of AI. Consider the aftermath of two recent crises. After the 2008 financial crisis, the downward trend for STARs accelerated as “screening out” by degrees proliferated. However, following the pandemic-induced contraction of 2020, STARs fared somewhat better; although they still lost more ground and recovered less quickly than workers with degrees, the decline was less severe. These two events were characterized by different fiscal and monetary responses that impacted labor market opportunities and wages, while the 2020 recovery was also influenced by a growing skills-based hiring movement.
Over the past five years, Opportunity@Work has collaborated with partners across the nonprofit, public, and private sectors to launch the Tear the Paper Ceiling campaign, which highlights STARs’ contributions to the workforce and the barriers to mobility they face. Recognition of the “paper ceiling” has increased steadily since the inception of the campaign, with 38% of employers citing familiarity with the term and 15% of STARs self-identifying as STARs (both up from 0% pre-campaign). These shifting perceptions are a starting point for broader social change.
Changes in organizational culture and practice, especially in large companies and government entities, require realignment of incentives and resources. They also take time, but these shifts in perception are beginning to drive important changes in behavior. Employers, policymakers, and STARs themselves are contributing to new models of inclusive hiring. Over half of U.S. state governments have committed to modernizing hiring practices to enable more STARs to enter middle- and high-wage jobs in the public sector. In the private sector, companies are testing and iterating skills-based hiring practices. And across both the public and private sector, HR technology companies are evolving their solutions to support these skills-first employers.
‘Amplified intention’: Leveraging AI to rewire the labor market
The U.S. economy is entering a profound technological and economic transition, one that requires intention to maximize societal benefit and minimize risk. So, we should think of AI as “amplified intention”—a technology designed to observe, replicate, and accelerate actions. In today’s labor market, if we direct AI to observe the patterns of the past, it will replicate the paper ceiling and accelerate its exclusionary effects. Instead, we should direct AI technologies to observe and understand workers’ skills and replicate skills-based pathways to accelerate the tearing of the paper ceiling, exponentially opening up opportunities to STARs and connecting employers to the skilled talent they need.
What would that look like in practice? First, let’s support employers to use AI for inclusion. With the analytic power to review millions of job descriptions, job performance data, job transitions, and more, we have the ability to refine skill taxonomies for a better understanding of the skills needed for jobs and the many, varied ways those skills are attained. With this knowledge, we will be better equipped to support American employers to create new job categories, clarify skills-based pathways, and broaden access to jobs that require valuable but often overlooked skills.
Second, let’s help workers leverage AI to adapt. In a labor market where new skills are emerging at a high velocity, where AI technologies are augmenting existing skills in workers, and where skills can create an increasingly agile workforce positioned for a wider range of roles, AI can also equip workers with the tools to keep up, enabling them to pivot more easily across tasks as demands shift. These technologies may very well serve to enhance—rather than replace—workers’ existing strengths.
AI can supercharge a STARs-powered economy in this next generation. But because the broad use of AI promises to increase our reliance on algorithms, it is essential to consider the data and reasoning behind these algorithms in order to avoid the replication and amplification of past and present biases. If we succeed, this moment of disruption could serve as a moment of opportunity.
Tools & Platforms
What Research of 3,200 SMEs Revealed
A new report by the AI Chamber, based on insights from more than 3,200 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), paints a striking picture of the region’s AI readiness: while over 75% of businesses say they are using artificial intelligence, only 25% are doing so at scale.
Titled “How Do SMEs in CEE Find Their Way in the World of AI?”, the study maps out how AI is reshaping operational workflows across 11 CEE countries – but also where gaps in leadership, talent, and regulatory awareness are holding many companies back.
The report uncovers four dominant mindsets shaping AI readiness in the region: Practical Optimists, Aware with Barriers, AI Indifferent, and Digitally Withdrawn. These categories reflect more than technological maturity – they reveal how vision, organizational structure, and risk appetite determine success or stagnation.
“This report challenges the prevailing myth that AI adoption is simply a matter of access to technology. The decisive factor is organizational maturity – leadership clarity, talent readiness, and strategic intent,” says Tomasz Snażyk, CEO of the AI Chamber.
“CEE’s SMEs could become global frontrunners in applied AI – if supported by the right regulatory frameworks and education initiatives. The opportunity is real. So is the risk of being left behind.”
Practical applications dominate, but strategic use remains rare
According to the report, the top three use cases of AI among SMEs in the region are data analysis (40%), automatic translation (35%), and task automation (28%) – indicating a focus on efficiency rather than transformation. More advanced applications like predictive analytics or AI-enhanced product development are far less common.
Notably, Estonia and Poland show more mature use cases, particularly in areas like customer behavior tracking and forecasting – suggesting that a small but growing cohort of regional players are moving beyond basic AI adoption into more data-driven decision-making.
However, only 8% of all SMEs surveyed are ready for an upcoming AI audit – a key requirement under the EU AI Act. In fact, just 39% of AI-using companies report even being familiar with the legislation, dropping to 29% among smaller and lower-tech firms.
Size matters – and so does vision
The data highlights a strong correlation between company size and AI maturity. SMEs with between 50–250 employees are far more likely to use AI strategically, have regulatory awareness, and invest in upskilling their teams. At the opposite end, micro-enterprises (under 10 employees) often lack the capacity, leadership bandwidth, or digital talent to take full advantage of AI opportunities.
Encouragingly, 61% of employees across the region are actively experimenting with AI tools in their day-to-day work. This bottom-up momentum is strongest in Poland and the Czech Republic, pointing to a grassroots wave of innovation that could help close the readiness gap – if matched by investment from leadership.
Still, one in four firms has taken no steps to upskill their workforce in AI-related competencies. That training gap is a red flag for policymakers, particularly as generative AI continues to reshape white-collar industries.
Fragmented AI landscape across CEE
Perhaps the most urgent takeaway from the report is the stark digital divide within CEE itself.
- Estonia emerges as the clear frontrunner, with 67% of companies reporting a positive AI impact and 65% familiar with the EU’s AI Act. Estonian firms also report among the lowest internal barriers to implementation, thanks to strong digital governance and high awareness.
- Slovakia and Poland also rank high in AI ambition: 70% and 65% of SMEs, respectively, want to expand their use of AI in the near future.
- In contrast, Croatia, Latvia, and Bulgaria show significantly lower levels of adoption and readiness. In Croatia, nearly a third of SMEs express no interest in using AI at all, while in Bulgaria, over half cite a lack of knowledge as a major barrier.
Even within high-growth markets like Poland, the ambition-execution gap is visible. While over half of SMEs there see AI as a competitive advantage, 35% report no current intent to adopt it, despite employee enthusiasm.
Regional crossroads
The timing of the report is critical. As global investment in AI is projected to soar from $189 billion in 2023 to $4.8 trillion by 2033 (UNCTAD), the world’s economic power centers are already shifting. More than 60% of AI patents and R&D funding are now concentrated in the U.S. and China, putting pressure on Europe—and CEE in particular – to define its AI trajectory.
For the AI Chamber, this moment represents both a risk and an opportunity.
“The window for CEE to define its digital future is open – but not indefinitely. The question facing governments, investors, and SMEs alike is no longer whether to embrace AI, but how quickly, how safely, and how strategically it can be done – before the gap with global leaders becomes irreversible.” – concludes Tomasz Snażyk.
Download the Full Report
👉 aichamber.eu/report/how-do-smes-in-cee-find-their-way-in-the-world-of-ai
Tools & Platforms
Mindsprint enhances ProcureSPRINT™ with Agentic AI to unlock up to 15% in procurement cost efficiencies
SINGAPORE, July 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Mindsprint, a technology firm offering purpose-built AI-led solutions to modernize enterprise operations, today announced significant advancements to ProcureSPRINT™, its enterprise-grade AI platform designed to optimize procurement operations, accelerate decision-making, and deliver measurable cost efficiencies.
Building on its proven foundation, ProcureSPRINT™ now integrates advanced Agentic AI capabilities, empowering organizations to automate complex procurement processes, enhance supplier collaboration, and unlock hidden value levers that can drive procurement cost reductions of up to 15 percent.
ProcureSPRINT™ is built on a secure, scalable cloud infrastructure and offers a modular, plug-and-play architecture that meets the needs of procurement teams at varying maturity levels. Its Agentic AI-powered recommendation engine provides actionable insights to both operational teams and C-level leaders, ensuring organizations can achieve faster cycle times, improved supplier performance, and greater procurement transparency.
“As enterprises evolve, so must their procurement function. The latest enhancements to ProcureSPRINT™ reflect our commitment to strengthening the platform with advanced AI & intelligent automation to deliver practical insights that help organizations reduce costs, improve compliance, and achieve operational resilience,” said G Venkataramanan (GV), Head of Intelligence Enterprise Operations, Mindsprint. “Our Agentic AI approach allows teams to shift from manual execution to more autonomous, insight-driven procurement, delivering faster outcomes with reduced effort.”
ProcureSPRINT™’s suite of intelligent agents supports every stage of the procurement process, including:
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The Onboarding Assistant Agent streamlines supplier registration through a self-service portal.
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The RFx Agent simplifies competitive bidding and reverse auctions.
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The Deal Advisor Agent provides AI-enabled recommendations for award decisions that maximize savings and minimize risk.
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The Shipment Sentinel Agent offers real-time visibility into shipments and supplier performance.
In addition, the platform offers an advanced, digitized invoice processing system that supports omnichannel document capture, multi-lingual intelligent data extraction, real-time validation, and seamless ERP integration. Organizations using ProcureSPRINT™ achieve over 70 percent touchless invoice processing, significantly reducing manual workload and processing time.
Tools & Platforms
Impostor uses AI to impersonate Rubio and contact foreign and US officials : NPR
Secretary of State Marco Rubio attends a signing ceremony for a peace agreement between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo at the State Department, June 27, 2025, in Washington.
Mark Schiefelbein/AP
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Mark Schiefelbein/AP
WASHINGTON — The State Department is warning U.S. diplomats of attempts to impersonate Secretary of State Marco Rubio and possibly other officials using technology driven by artificial intelligence, according to two senior officials and a cable sent last week to all embassies and consulates.
The warning came after the department discovered that an impostor posing as Rubio had attempted to reach out to at least three foreign ministers, a U.S. senator and a governor, according to the July 3 cable, which was first reported by The Washington Post.
The recipients of the scam messages, which were sent by text, Signal and voice mail, were not identified in the cable, a copy of which was shared with The Associated Press.
“The State Department is aware of this incident and is currently monitoring and addressing the matter,” department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce told reporters. “The department takes seriously its responsibility to safeguard its information and continuously take steps to improve the department’s cybersecurity posture to prevent future incidents.”
She declined to comment further due to “security reasons” and the ongoing investigation.
It’s the latest instance of a high-level Trump administration figure targeted by an impersonator, with a similar incident revealed in May involving President Donald Trump’s chief of staff, Susie Wiles. The misuse of AI to deceive people is likely to grow as the technology improves and becomes more widely available, and the FBI warned this past spring about “malicious actors” impersonating senior U.S. government officials in a text and voice messaging campaign.
The hoaxes involving Rubio had been unsuccessful and “not very sophisticated,” one of the officials said. Nonetheless, the second official said the department deemed it “prudent” to advise all employees and foreign governments, particularly as efforts by foreign actors to compromise information security increase.
The officials were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
“There is no direct cyber threat to the department from this campaign, but information shared with a third party could be exposed if targeted individuals are compromised,” the cable said.
The FBI has warned in a public service announcement about a “malicious” campaign relying on text messages and AI-generated voice messages that purport to come from a senior U.S. official and that aim to dupe other government officials as well as the victim’s associates and contacts.
This is not the first time that Rubio has been impersonated in a deepfake. This spring, someone created a bogus video of him saying he wanted to cut off Ukraine’s access to Elon Musk’s Starlink internet service. Ukraine’s government later rebutted the false claim.
Several potential solutions have been put forward in recent years to the growing misuse of AI for deception, including criminal penalties and improved media literacy. Concerns about deepfakes have also led to a flood of new apps and AI systems designed to spot phonies that could easily fool a human.
The tech companies working on these systems are now in competition against those who would use AI to deceive, according to Siwei Lyu, a professor and computer scientist at the University at Buffalo. He said he’s seen an increase in the number of deepfakes portraying celebrities, politicians and business leaders as the technology improves.
Just a few years ago, fakes contained easy-to-spot flaws — inhuman voices or mistakes like extra fingers — but now the AI is so good, it’s much harder for a human to spot, giving deepfake makers an advantage.
“The level of realism and quality is increasing,” Lyu said. “It’s an arms race, and right now the generators are getting the upper hand.”
The Rubio hoax comes after text messages and phone calls went to elected officials, business executives and other prominent figures from someone who seemed to have gained access to the contacts in Wiles’ personal cellphone, The Wall Street Journal reported in May.
Some of those who received calls heard a voice that sounded like Wiles, which may have been generated by AI, according to the newspaper. The messages and calls were not coming from Wiles’ number, the report said. The government was investigating.
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