Artificial Intelligence (AI) and automation are topics keeping millions of people awake since they feel and think they’re on the verge of losing their jobs. In contrast, others see its benefits and how it might impact our lives in the Future; thus, they’re quickly adopting it. All this is evident from the recent ChatGPT wave and craze. 

The reality is that AI is growing fast, and its impact will be felt in the job market. AI and machine learning emerged as one of the fastest-growing skills (+500%) in 2022. It signifies AI’s high demand across different industries. Additionally, 2023 will be another high-growth year for AI. Statistics show that global AI adoption by organizations is set to expand at a CAGR of 38.1% between 2022 to 2030.

As a fast-evolving technology, AI will eliminate some jobs, create new jobs and improve the processes of other jobs. This post discusses how to prepare for AI in the workplace.

What is the Impact of AI on the Workforce?

First, it’s worth noting that radical job changes in the different industries due to technological advancement have occurred since the 16th century. For instance, during the 19th century, specifically during the industrial revolution, mechanization was introduced in factories and mills. Workers reacted because they perceived the automation processes as threatening their jobs. It even led to the famous Luddites protest in the U.K.

Also, during the 20th century, automobile manufacturers adopted robots in car manufacturing to increase their output, standardize production quality, and control costs.

As outlined earlier, AI will disrupt the labor market positively and negatively. People whose jobs’ processes can be automated are more likely to lose their job. At the same time, AI will create new job opportunities. Above all, AI will increase productivity and enhance the workforce’s efficiency.

Let’s explore more about AI’s impact on different jobs;

Which Jobs will AI and Automation Replace?

AI and automation are truly adaptable, and as time goes by, the adoption rate will increase: as it’s already happening. Consequently, it will disrupt the job market.

According to AI experts and several studies by different institutions, including McKinsey Global Institute, there will significantly impact most blue-collar jobs and specially trained roles across industries. One of its reports outlined that about 400 to 800 million people could be displaced by automation and need to learn new skills by 2030.       

Below are examples of jobs that are at high-risk for replacement by AI in the Future:

Media jobs

Some media roles, including technical writing, content creation, advertising, proofreading, and social media management, could be replaced by AI.

Market research analysts

Data analysts complement AI, but there is a likelihood that robots will replace this role.

Finance jobs

Jobs such as financial analyst, personal financial advisor, and accountant are at risk of being replaced by AI in the Future.

Customer service agents

Many businesses have already tried custom chatbots that answer questions that a customer service agent would answer. As generative AI advances, human customer service agents will be eliminated from their roles.

Bookkeeping and data entry

Businesses have already started adopting AI software for bookkeeping tasks that do entry creation, approval flow, auditing, and other tax services.

Courier services

Drones and robots are penetrating the logistics and supply chain industry to enhance automation and efficiency, thus making it possible to eliminate some roles in the Future.

Taxi and driver services

The success of self-drive and fully autonomous cars is not far away, considering it is already here. As time goes by, new AI features will be added to enhance their functioning; thus, there will be less need to have taxi or bus drivers.

Retail services

We have already seen some retail stores and supermarkets adopt automation of services such as self-checkout. As AI advances, robots will replace more retail roles, thus replacing human retailer jobs.

 What Jobs are less Likely to be Replaced by AI and Automation in the Future?

AI is a powerful technology that can automate most things that can be learned. However, it has its limitations. That means it cannot do everything. Therefore, some jobs are at minimal risk of being replaced by AI.

AI lacks empathy and compassion: and it’s one of its weaknesses. Thus, it cannot effectively perform some jobs requiring those two qualities. Additionally, AI cannot deliver jobs that require strong communication skills and the ability to win a human being’s trust.

Below are examples of jobs AI cannot replace:

Psychiatry and counseling

These jobs require empathy, good communication skills, and emotional intelligence for effective results. Above all, the need to have a person-person interaction is key in these jobs.

Therapy

Most therapies require a person-to-person interaction, thus making AI a wrong choice.

Management roles

Management roles such as human resources (HR) and public relations (PR) will always need non-cognitive and human interaction skills such as motivation, active listening, interpersonal skills, effective communication, teamwork, decision-making, building relationships, etc. These are roles AI robots cannot handle as humans do.

Creative writing

Unlike humans, AI cannot generate original, creative, imaginative content for a book, movie, song, or play. In brief, it takes a lot of work for AI to take over the creative part of writers in most industries.

Criminal defense lawyer

Being a lawyer involves a lot of persuasions, which AI lacks. Besides, An AI robot cannot put together significant arguments to “bend” the laws in their favor like human lawyers. Above all, it cannot be with another human being since it lacks emotional intelligence.

Scientists

While AI can help in data analysis, it can hardly handle the fieldwork, experiments, and innovation that scientists do.

Among other roles AI can hardly replace include event planners, clergypersons, teachers/educators, and project managers.

What Type of Jobs will AI Create?

The good side of AI is that it will also create new job opportunities for those who will adapt quickly. As this technology advances, its demand increases. Therefore, there will be more job opportunities across all fields that adopt AI technology. Among the job opportunities it will create include the following;

•       Big data engineers
•       Data scientists
•       Machine learning engineers
•       AI research scientists
•       Programmers and software developers
•       Data annotators
•       AI Trainers

Final Thought

As AI becomes more prevalent, organizations will continue adopting it to increase performance and efficiency. Additionally, they’ll need a workforce that is conversant with AI. Most importantly, some employees are prone to losing their job due to the automation of most processes across different industries.

Therefore, the best option for the current workforce is to prepare to adopt AI technologies. It entails learning AI-related skills aligning with their career: re-skilling and up-skilling. This approach will give most people in the workforce an edge as AI adoption grow. Thus, they won’t worry about losing their jobs.