STAR BUSINESS REPORT

More than one-third of Bangladeshi chief executive officers expect artificial intelligence (AI) to reduce junior-level jobs over the next three years, according to a recent PwC report.

This compares with 43 percent in Southeast Asia and 49 percent globally, pointing to a relatively more cautious outlook in Bangladesh.

The findings are part of PwC’s 29th CEO Survey -- Bangladesh edition, which shows that around three in ten CEOs also expect AI to reduce mid-level positions, broadly in line with global trends.

However, only a small proportion expect cuts in senior-level roles, suggesting AI is more likely to augment leadership rather than replace it.

The survey is based on PwC’s global study of 4,454 CEOs across 95 countries and territories, including 45 from Bangladesh. It was conducted between September 30 and November 10, 2025.

The report says Bangladesh is still in the early stages of scaling AI across enterprises, with adoption limited across most business functions. While firms are actively experimenting, AI has not yet become deeply embedded in core operations.

“Business leaders are no longer debating whether they need to reinvent themselves, but whether they are doing so at the right pace and with the necessary expertise to remain viable in the future,” said Shams Zaman, country managing partner, PwC Bangladesh.

Bangladeshi companies report relatively stronger AI use than the Southeast Asian average in selected areas such as demand generation, support services and strategic decision-making.

One in five CEOs says their organisations use AI for demand generation and direction-setting, a higher share than regional peers.

However, Bangladesh still lags behind the global average in areas like support services and in developing AI-enabled products, services and customer experiences, where global adoption is around one-fifth.