Jobs AI Might Take, According to a UK Study
You know those cool AI bots like ChatGPT? Ever wondered if they could do your job? Well, a UK study looked into it, and the results might surprise you.
AI is catching on fast, and it’s not just a distant worry. Some companies have already used AI to replace certain jobs, leading to layoffs or freezing hiring. Now, a recent study from the UK’s Department for Education gives us more insight into which jobs are most at risk.
The study estimates that 10–30% of jobs could be done by AI. That means a significant chunk of jobs might change. The study checked ten AI applications to see how they could help with different jobs, like games, image recognition, language, and more.
The study gave each job an AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) score. The higher the score, the more “exposed” that job is to AI. The study found that jobs in finance, law, and business management are more exposed to AI. The fancier the job qualifications, the more likely it is to pair well with AI.
On the flip side, jobs that need less education and training are less likely to be taken over by AI. Security guards are an exception; even though it’s a job with low education requirements, it’s still more exposed to AI due to new security technology.
But it’s not all bad news. Most jobs are only partially exposed to AI, according to the International Labor Organization. So, instead of losing jobs, people in these roles might benefit from working with AI.
The study lists the top 20 jobs most exposed to AI, including consulting, telephone sales, psychologists, legal professionals, teachers, and payroll managers. Finance and insurance jobs are the most at risk.
Curiously, the study also lists jobs least exposed to AI. These are jobs that involve manual labor that AI can’t replicate, like sports players, roofers, forklift truck drivers, painters, window cleaners, and bricklayers.
The study also gives a list of 16 jobs that could be replaced by automation. These include authors, bank clerks, customer service jobs, and more. Some of these jobs overlap with the list of jobs most exposed to AI.
The study doesn’t predict the future, but it gives us a data-driven view of the job situation. And for the record, seeing “writers” on the list of jobs that could be replaced is not something to cheer about.
