AI-Related Jobs Are In Demand, But Some Are at Risk
If you're like me, your first interaction with a generative AI-bot like ChatGPT was likely something like this: You asked it to do something, it did it, and you were impressed by how well it had completed the task. A nagging thought then crept into your mind: "Dang, can this thing take my job away?"
The question of whether AI will eventually take our jobs is nothing new. But since the introduction of ChatGPT towards the end of last year, the pace at which AI is being adopted has left even tech-savvy folks stunned. Already, certain jobs are feeling the brunt of this AI invasion. Some companies have made layoffs due to the belief that AI could handle certain tasks, while others have temporarily halted hiring based on similar reasons.
So, how do you know if your job is on the chopping block? A recent UK study might have the answer (even if you might not like it).
AI Threatens Certain Professions, According to a UK Study
Instead of speculating about the future, we'll look to traditional studies for a more informed discussion. One such study, conducted by the UK's Department for Education, predicts that 10-30% of jobs could be automated by AI. The exact percentage may vary, depending on one's perception of AI.
The study analyzed the duties and qualifications of various job sectors to determine which roles could be influenced by AI. Ten AI applications were evaluated to determine their relevance to specific roles:
- Abstract strategy games
- Online real-time games
- Image recognition
- Visual trivia games
- Image generation
- Text comprehension
- Language modeling
- Translation
- Speech recognition
- Music recognition
Based on the relevance of these ten applications to a specific role, the study assigned an Artificial Intelligence Occupational Exposure (AIOE) value. Higher AIOE values indicate a higher exposure to AI.
The study revealed that "professional" jobs, including finance, law, and business management, tend to be more susceptible to AI. Surprisingly, the study found that security jobs may benefit from the advances in security technology, making the use of AI in these positions easier.
Overall, the study suggests that roles requiring higher levels of education and training are more likely to be impacted by AI. If your job requires significant education and advanced training, it may be at risk.
Which Jobs Are Most Vulnerable to AI?
Based on the study's findings, these are the 20 professions with the highest AI exposure and the greatest exposure to advanced language modeling (LLM):
- Consulting
- Telemarketing
- Psychology
- Law
- Teaching
- Accounting
As the study revealed, the finance and insurance sectors are the most impacted by AI. Other affected sectors include information and communication, free professions, technology and real estate, public administration and defense, and education.
Interestingly, the study also identifies the professions with the least exposure to AI. These often require physical labor and cannot be replicated by AI or technology, such as sports players, roofers, forklift operators, painters, and window cleaners:
From the "professional" fields, veterinarians, medical radiographers, dentists, physiotherapists, and police officers are identified as the least vulnerable to AI. In terms of industries, the food processing, car dealership, agriculture, logistics, and construction sectors are among the least impacted by AI.
Does AI Really Replace Jobs?
Interestingly, the study primarily focuses on the effects of AI rather than the jobs impacted by the technology. It does list 16 types of jobs that are considered "highly automated", but many of these could potentially be replaced by AI in the future.
- Authors, writers, and translators
- Bank staff and postal workers
- Accountants, payroll clerks, and payroll assistants
- Positions in sales and contact centers
- Non-classified customer service roles
- Financial personnel
- Financial clerks, accountants, and payroll assistants
- Human resources personnel
- Librarians and librarians
- Market research interviewers
- Other non-classified administrative roles
- Pension and insurance claim handlers and assistants
- Telemarketers
- Travel sales agents
- Typists and other keyboard workers
As you may have noticed, there is some overlap on this list and the list of professions with the highest AI exposure. This suggests that certain professions have a higher AI Occupational Exposure value, both for AI and LLM.
Again, I can't predict the future, and this study also cautions that its assumptions may change over time. Nonetheless, this study provides an interesting perspective on the situation from a data-driven standpoint. Upon further reflection, I find it disappointing to see "Authors" appearing at the top of the automation list.
