Artificial Intelligence is no longer a concept. It is here and it is being used to replace workers. Jobs are being re-designed or lost to AI, as we speak. There is a legitimate debate about whether the disruptions in the job markets are good or bad….or they just are. A lot of horses lost their jobs when cars became mass produced in the early 1900s. A lot of workers in the 2020s will get a taste of what those turn-of-the-century horses experienced.
At least AI is being straightforward about its disruptive role in the job market. We queried ChatGPT and Claude and asked each of these AI platforms: “please list the jobs and occupations that will be most affected by AI technology advances”. Both of them provided very similar (but not identical) answers:
1. Transportation and Delivery Services: With the rise of autonomous vehicles and drones, jobs such as truck drivers, delivery drivers, and taxi/ride-hailing drivers may see significant changes.
2. Manufacturing and Production Workers: Automation and robotics are increasingly used in manufacturing processes, which may lead to job displacement for factory workers.
3. Retail Workers: As e-commerce continues to grow and automated checkout systems become more prevalent, traditional retail jobs, such as cashiers and sales associates, may be impacted.
4. Customer Service Representatives: AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants are becoming more sophisticated, potentially reducing the need for human customer service representatives.
5. Data Entry and Administrative Support: AI algorithms are increasingly capable of performing tasks such as data entry, scheduling, and basic administrative duties, potentially reducing the need for human workers in these roles.
6. Financial Analysts and Advisors: AI-powered algorithms are already being used for tasks such as analyzing financial data, managing investments, and providing personalized financial advice, which could impact jobs in the financial sector.
7. Legal Professionals: AI technology is being used to automate certain legal tasks, such as document review and contract analysis, which may affect jobs for paralegals and junior lawyers.
8. Healthcare Workers: While AI has the potential to improve healthcare delivery and diagnosis, it may also impact jobs such as medical transcriptionists, radiologists, and certain administrative roles.
9. Content Creators and Journalists: AI algorithms are increasingly capable of generating written content, such as news articles and reports, which may impact jobs in journalism and content creation.
10. Routine office and administrative positions: AI and automation are already replacing many repetitive, clerical tasks like data entry, bookkeeping, and administrative assistance
11. Call Center Operators: AI-powered voice recognition systems and chatbots are increasingly being used to handle customer inquiries and support requests, potentially reducing the need for human call center operators.
12. Food Preparation and service: Robotic and AI-powered technologies are emerging in food service, from automated food preparation to self-checkout and delivery.
Conclusion
While the AI answers didn’t specify a timeline, most informed observers agree that the 12 job categories listed above are disappearing now. If you work in any of these industries, now is the time to begin thinking about how you will adapt to the AI-driven reality.
Notably, we also asked both AI platforms about the new jobs and occupations that will be created by the emerging AI technologies. They indicated that AI specialists (such as trainers, safety engineers and ethicists), robotics engineers, AI-assisted healthcare specialists and professional artists, writers and other creatives will find new opportunities in the emerging technologies. Perhaps it’s time to think about retraining for some of the new jobs…..today!