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Jobs that Artificial Intelligence is replacing in Albania

2025-08-23 08:31:00, Aktualitet CNA

From call centers to farms, AI is replacing routine jobs and creating new skills demands, as challenges with youth unemployment and labor market shortages deepen. Vodafone Italia laid off 450 Albanian call center employees this year, replacing them with AI chatbots. Consulting, auditing, finance, marketing, etc. companies are not recruiting new employees. As graduate unemployment soars in 2025, CEOs have claimed that AI is boosting productivity. Which professions are at risk in Albania, how will the labor market be reshaped? Global data on the impact of AI in 2025 gives hope.

A few days ago, A. Aga, in his 50s, lost his job at the call center where he had been working for the last 15 years.

Vodafone Italia laid off around 450 employees in Albania who performed customer service, replacing them with a chatbot integrated with Artificial Intelligence.

"What 750 employees used to do in a few hours, now Artificial Intelligence does in just three minutes and without a single mistake," said Mr. Aga. By the end of the year, around 900 employees who provided call center services from Albania for Vodafone Italia are expected to lose their jobs.

Artificial Intelligence is rapidly being integrated into many work processes, as technology companies are developing new types for complex professions. Technology is advancing so quickly that predictions are becoming more difficult.

Nina Bala, who works for a British company in Albania, which provides financial, consulting and design services, said that Artificial Intelligence is strongly integrated into all processes.

She said the company has not made any layoffs, but is not expanding into new employees even though the activity has expanded. With the help of AI, one designer now does the work of three people. This applies to all sectors, she said.

The Albanian economy is poorly digitalized and still based on a model dominated by freelance labor.

However, the integration of Artificial Intelligence in our country for some professions such as translators, telephone operators, marketing experts, some technology specialists, and generally professions in all areas of tasks, at the low and medium level, are becoming increasingly replaceable.

Studies to date show that Artificial Intelligence is rapidly being integrated, replacing humans, but this is not affecting the increase in unemployment.

A recent study by the Vienna Institute for Economic Studies showed that industries and businesses that had used robotics and AI had produced more with fewer employees. They found that production increased as workers laid off in the manufacturing sector were recruited into other operational sectors.

As increased production created a need for new markets and new human skills, physical retail markets in the US and Europe were disrupted by online sales at the beginning of this decade.

But soon, instead of salespeople, the demand for postal and distribution, packaging, and technology workers increased.

In macro terms, Artificial Intelligence has not increased unemployment, but has highlighted the need for employment restructuring and faster adaptation of the education system to respond to technological developments.

Mr. Aga, who lost his job at the call center, immediately secured a new contract with the same conditions. He said that in general, most of his colleagues have secured new jobs, as the need for call center services is still high in our country.

Albanian CEOs: 60% think AI has brought improvement

Just two years after Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) entered the horizon of corporate leaders, companies in Albania and Kosovo have begun to embrace it on an ever-increasing scale.

Pricewaterhouse Coopers, also known as PwC, a multinational professional services network headquartered in London, in a survey of 43 CEOs in Albania and Kosovo, the results of which were published in the spring of this year, showed that 60% of executives in the two countries said that the use of GenAI has led to improvements in the efficiency of employees' time use.

A smaller percentage, around 23%, report increased revenue, while 26% have also seen improved profits.

Although these figures are slightly lower than the optimistic expectations expressed by executives last year, enthusiasm for the future has not waned.

Almost half of CEOs in Albania and Kosovo (44%) expect the use of GenAI to positively impact their company's profit growth in the next 12 months.

This expectation is related to GenAI's capabilities to automate complex tasks, generate innovative solutions, and improve the decision-making process.

Many executives consider it a transformative tool that can deliver significant cost savings and increase productivity, two key factors that directly impact profit.

As markets face increasingly volatile dynamics, the strategic use of new technologies like GenAI is expected to provide a competitive advantage and better position companies for sustainable growth.

But this optimism does not apply to everyone. A significant percentage, 44% of executives in Albania and Kosovo, say they do not expect any change in their company's profits as a result of using GenAI.

The skepticism stems from the perception that the technology is still developing and not free from limitations. This approach reflects the same divide that is observed in other countries in the Central and Eastern European (CEE) region, but also globally.

However, what is striking is the broad consensus on the need for new expertise. The integration of GenAI requires people capable of using it effectively, to maximize its potential.

Therefore, in parallel with technology, a deep investment in human capital will be required.

And as the debate between optimists and skeptics continues, the survey showed that Artificial Intelligence is increasingly becoming part of the future of business in Albania and Kosovo as well.

One of the most interesting trends to emerge from the survey is the blurring of boundaries between traditional economic sectors. 40% of CEOs say their companies have entered new business areas in the last five years, a clear indication that traditional models are being transformed.

However, the pace of this transformation remains slow. Only 9% of company revenues in Albania and Kosovo in the last five years have come from new businesses.

According to the report, this is due to poor decision-making, a lack of dynamic resource allocation, and an inability to think long-term, a challenge particularly evident in countries where leaders change frequently and long-term vision is not always prioritized.

Global AI Employment Barometer 2025: Don't panic

PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC)'s Global Employment Barometer 2025 finds that AI can make people more valuable, even in the most automated jobs.

PwC analyzed nearly a billion job postings from six continents to uncover the global impact of AI on jobs, skills, wages, and productivity.

The survey found higher growth in per-worker income in industries most exposed to AI. A number of industries are increasing their use of AI, including industries less exposed to it, such as mining and agriculture.

Revenue growth in industries exposed to Artificial Intelligence has accelerated significantly since 2022, the year when the introduction of ChatGPT 3.5 woke the world up to the power of Artificial Intelligence.

Since then, companies have rushed to exploit this technology, and revenues in industries that use Artificial Intelligence have increased significantly.

PwC analyzed the impact of AI on job performance. The survey found that industries most exposed to Artificial Intelligence have 3 times higher growth in revenue per employee.

AI can make workers more productive and enable them to create more value. Since 2022, when awareness of the power of AI grew, revenues in industries best positioned to use AI have quadrupled. This suggests that investments in AI are paying off.

The survey also found that wages are growing twice as fast in industries most exposed to Artificial Intelligence compared to those least exposed.

The survey found that wages are rising for workers in even the most automated roles, suggesting that concerns that AI is devaluing humans may be overstated.

Skills for jobs exposed to Artificial Intelligence are changing 66% faster than for other jobs. AI is redefining roles at an ever-increasing rate and creating rapid changes in the skills needed to succeed in AI-enabled jobs.

The survey found that salaries for workers with AI skills were significantly higher than those in traditional sectors. Furthermore, every industry analyzed showed salary increases for workers with AI skills. 3% of Albanian businesses have replaced employees with AI

The latest Balkan Barometer data, dating back to 2024, showed that in Albania, 3% of businesses had automated or replaced an existing job position through Artificial Intelligence technologies, a higher percentage than the regional average, which is 2%.

The Balkan Barometer 2024 data shows that Albania is among the most active countries in the region in terms of improving the products and services offered by businesses. 23% of Albanian companies have introduced new or significantly improved products or services, while 21% report that the innovations are also for the market in general.

These levels rank Albania ahead of the regional average and alongside Kosovo, which displays the highest percentages in this regard.

Albanian businesses have been considering the lack of employees as a major concern in recent years. To fill the gap, many of them have turned to Asian and African markets to find employees, but some others are using Artificial Intelligence instead of humans.

The survey conducted by the Balkan Barometer shows that 3% of businesses surveyed in our country have claimed to have replaced employees with Artificial Intelligence. Drini Zusi, shareholder in the INCA company in Lezha, which operates in the processing industry, said that Artificial Intelligence and investments in mechanics and technology in recent years are reducing dependence on new employee recruitment.

Mr. Zusi said that through ChatGPT and Midjourney in the field of marketing, content is created and there is no longer a need for a manager in this field.

Previously, the company paid an external agency or consultant for the marketing concept or content, but with premium versions of ChatGPT these products are produced in-house.

Industry is one of the major beneficiaries of technology, as manufacturing units, which have felt the most the labor shortage, have invested in robotic technology in recent years, while also using Artificial Intelligence for marketing and to increase productivity.

Global projections show that Artificial Intelligence will become a major job replacement in the future.

Professions at risk from AI in Albania

In Albania, as in many other countries, technological developments and the use of Artificial Intelligence, automation, and software are gradually replacing employees in some professions, mainly in those that involve routine, repetitive, and standardized tasks.

Recent developments are showing that data operators, administrative assistants, document archivists, are being replaced by document management software and process automation.

Translators are also being replaced by the use of tools like ChatGPT, etc., which have reduced the need for simple manual translations.

Call center agents are also being rapidly replaced. Many companies have moved to chatbots, AI-powered automated responses, and IVR systems.

In textile, food processing, and assembly factories, machinery is being used that reduces the need for manual labor. Packaging robots and automated logistics systems are also starting to enter Albania, especially in large distribution centers.

Low-level accountants, bank clerks, treasury employees are being replaced by automated financial reporting systems, AI for risk, and digital payments.

Also, human designers are being replaced by AI for content creation, rapid design (e.g. Canva + AI) and automatic text generation is on the rise.

Lawyers are exposed to the use of AI, for example, common contracts, as AI can draft basic models.

In Albania, replacement is slower than in EU countries, due to low labor costs and more limited technology penetration.

AI is not replacing professions that require complex human interaction, high creativity, or moral decision-making, such as doctors, lawyers in complex cases, teachers, psychologists, or field workers.

How AI is being targeted from agriculture to cities

Some farmers have started using the "Smart Agro" application on their phones, which helps agricultural farms monitor soil parameters, weather, and diseases with sensors every 15 minutes.

Flori Uka, from "Uka Farm", who uses this application, said that it is quite useful as it signals weather changes very quickly and farmers can take timely measures.

Mr. Uka said that the application is very good for large production farms and farms with mass cultivation in the field for the market. Farmers, through Artificial Intelligence, receive early signals and have the opportunity to protect crops.

AI, by enabling the measurement of humidity in the air, provides accurate information about infections that threaten plants, enabling timely spraying and avoiding excessive use of pesticides.

However, most farms are small and for self-consumption or sale on the informal market, so they are unable to use the application, the installation of which costs 2,000 euros.

Aurel Grabocka, last year, created the Agricolus platform for smart agriculture in Korça. “The platform is used to monitor our 200 hectares of apple orchards using vegetation indices processed from satellite images.

Agricolus is also used to plan irrigation and fertilization in fields.

For each field, we combine information about yield.

Yield maps are processed starting from accurate data collected in the field through the Agricolus Farmer mobile application, with those related to vegetation indices in order to select the correct fertilizer dose and areas with the most deficiencies.

The platform is valuable for farmers, agronomists and state institutions, as it allows efficient management of crop operations and key activities even on small farms."

Farmers' interest in using Artificial Intelligence applications has been lukewarm due to poor knowledge of technology and the advanced age of those living in the countryside. But if used, the application's help is quite significant both in reducing costs and increasing production.

The government is aiming to use AI to manage aspects of life in cities.

Presight AI Holding, a public company listed on the Abu Dhabi Stock Exchange (ADX), operating primarily in the field of big data, on February 24, 2025 signed an agreement with the Albanian Ministry of Interior to implement a "smart city" project based on Artificial Intelligence in 20 Albanian cities at a cost of approximately 118 million euros.

The project aims to establish an intelligent platform for real-time traffic and urban infrastructure management. A command and control center will be created to improve public services, emergency management, and infrastructure.

Initially, the project was estimated at around $60 million, but the Albanian government later reported that the amount doubled, reaching $118.5 million, secured through a loan from the Abu Dhabi Fund.

The project envisages the installation of 2,239 license plate reading cameras, 2,602 traffic monitoring cameras, 3,816 police body cameras, 100 smart radars, and 100 traffic sensors.

Detailed implementation deadlines in each city.

Experts claim that this technology can partially replace the work of employees in manual traffic monitoring and security, but in the meantime, there is a need for AI specialists, sensor analysis and emergency management./ Monitor