A PwC report discussed on yesterday’s Portfolio Checklist concluded that artificial intelligence is splitting the global labour market. Oltyán Gábor, lead data science expert and tech senior manager at PwC Hungary, explained in the episode what skills and corporate measures are required for workers and companies to become winners in this transition.
Oltyán highlighted that “AI-readiness” — the capacity of an organisation and its workforce to effectively use AI — offers substantial efficiency gains and a potential wage premium. At the same time, lacking skill development could disadvantage workers: those who do not invest in AI-related capabilities are likely to struggle to maintain competitive positions in the job market.
The discussion stressed that both technical upskilling and organisational adaptation are necessary from workers and employers alike. The programme’s summary emphasised that realising the economic benefits of AI will require targeted training, reskilling programmes and redesigning workplace processes.
Other topic in the episode: record foreign-exchange reserves
The podcast’s first segment covered a separate economic development: in May, the foreign-exchange reserves of Magyar Nemzeti Bank reached a historic high. The conversation noted that this figure could increase further by year-end and examined how this development relates to the expected euro adoption and whether such a large reserve is necessary.
Portfolio’s analyst Beke Károly was interviewed on the reserves topic; the analysis focused on why a high reserve level matters and what risks or advantages it may entail in the context of eventual euro area accession.
Where and when to listen
The Portfolio Checklist episode is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and other major podcast platforms, and can be played via the embedded player in the article. The episode structure and main segments were listed as:
- Intro − (00:00)
- Foreign-exchange reserves at a peak — what does it mean? − (02:07)
- AI skills: disruption is rampant − (16:02)
- Capital market outlook − (27:09)
The cover image is illustrative; image source: Getty Images.
Related event
Portfolio announced its first deep tech conference, titled "Deep Tech 2026: Research, industry, capital — where the big business opportunities of the next decade will arise?", scheduled for November 18. Registration details and further information have been published by the organisers.
Tags: labour, artificial intelligence, capital markets, foreign-exchange reserves, digital skills, ai, podcast, currency, checklistpodcast
