Artificial Intelligence Taking Over Jobs: No Comprehensive List Found
In a recent study, the influence of generative AI, such as ChatGPT and Copilot, on various professions was analysed. The research focused on tasks involving language, communication, knowledge work, and routine cognitive activities.
The findings reveal that professions centred on language generation, customer communication, routine cognitive functions, and knowledge processing are most affected by these AI tools. This transformation spans across writers, customer support, sales, logistics administration, translation, and programming professions.
For instance, writing, editing, summarizing, and translating text are significantly impacted, affecting professionals such as writers, authors, translators, and interpreters. Similarly, customer service and support interactions, like handling inquiries and communication automation, are also affected. Sales and communication roles that involve frequent service interactions and text-based communication, such as sales representatives, ticket agents, and telephone operators, are also on the list.
Researching, knowledge work, and data analysis tasks are another area where AI can assist in synthesising and generating insights from information. Programming and coding tasks, including generating and editing code, are also impacted, especially in roles like CNC tool programming or software development.
Logistics and supply chain tasks that are routine but cognitively intensive, such as billing, payroll, customs documentation, scheduling, demand forecasting, and dynamic routing, are also affected. However, professions with physical or highly manual jobs show minimal AI overlap.
It's important to note that AI does not fully or reliably take over tasks, with success rates varying, and many tasks requiring additional human judgment, experience, or social context. For example, auxiliary staff in construction and production, such as production assistants, grinders, bridge operators, or track technicians, have tasks that are not well-suited for text-based AI application.
Professions in hazardous or specialized environments, such as oil and gas workers, fire department supervisors, ship technicians, water treatment plant operators, or dredge operators, require physical presence, local knowledge, and high safety standards. Healthcare professions with practical tasks, such as nursing assistants, phlebotomists, surgical assistants, dental technicians, or medical equipment technicians, also have low AI applicability due to manual precision and patient contact.
The study did not provide information about professions with low AI applicability scores. It aimed to understand what types of tasks are done with AI and how successful that is, not to measure productivity. The study also did not consider the economic, social, or operational consequences of new technologies.
In conclusion, while generative AI tools like ChatGPT and Copilot are significantly impacting certain professions, they do not completely replace human roles. Instead, they change and expand jobs, allowing people to focus more on aspects that require human skills.
Artificial intelligence, particularly generative AI like ChatGPT and Copilot, is playing a significant role in shaping professions centred on tasks such as language generation, knowledge work, and routine cognitive activities, including writing, customer service, sales, logistics, programming, research, and data analysis. However, AI has minimal impact on professions with physical or highly manual jobs, or those in hazardous or specialized environments, due to the necessity of human presence, local knowledge, and manual precision.
