If you’re like me, your first experience with a generative AI bot like ChatGPT probably went something like this: you asked it to do something, it did what you asked, and you were impressed with how well it did it. Then an existential thought occurred to you: “Damn… will this do any good My position?”
The question is whether artificial intelligence will finally take our jobs, the meatbags it’s nothing fresh. But after ChatGPT launched tardy last year, the speed with which AI caught on surprised almost everyone, even those working in the space. And this is not something to consider in the distant (or even near) future, jobs are already affected: Some layoffs this year were because companies believed AI could replace some positions, while other companies imposed hiring freezes for similar reasons.
So how do you know if your job is at risk? A fresh study may answer this question (and you may not like it).
This British study reveals which professions are “most vulnerable” to artificial intelligence and what that means
Evaluating the random actions of various companies and getting lost in speculation does us no good. In order to conduct a substantive and thoughtful discussion on this topic, customary research is already being conducted on the impact of artificial intelligence on the labor market, including: in this recent study from the UK. A study by the UK Department of Education estimates that 10-30% of jobs could be automated using AI, which depending on your general view of AI may seem like a lot or less than you might expect.
The study examined the functions and qualifications of jobs in different sectors of the workforce, examining whether the following ten applications of artificial intelligence could aid in these professions:
Depending on how crucial each of these 10 functions was to a specific role, the study generated an AI Occupational Exposure Score (AIOE) for that role. The higher the score, the greater the role’s “exposure” to AI.
Preliminary findings show that ‘professional occupations’, including sectors such as finance, law and business management, tend to be more exposed to AI. In fact, they specifically identified finance and insurance as sectors Very exposed. Based on this finding, it appears that the more advanced qualifications needed for a job, the more likely it is to be exposed to AI. Generally speaking, if your job requires more education and more advanced training, there’s a good chance it’s a good fit for AI.
Of course, it’s the other way around – except for the security guards, which is quite fascinating. The study shows that security technology is so popular that, although the position requires little education and work experience, it is more exposed to artificial intelligence than other jobs of this type.
None of this is necessarily a bad thing. As the study showed, the International Labor Organization found that most jobs are only partially exposed to AI, so there’s a good chance that decent workers in these jobs will advantage from exposure to artificial intelligence, rather than completely replacing work with this technology.
Which professions are most vulnerable to artificial intelligence?
Taking all this into account, the study highlights the 20 job types most vulnerable to AI, as well as most vulnerable to gigantic language modeling (LLM). It’s a long list, covering sectors such as consultancy, telephone sales, psychologists, lawyers, teachers and payroll managers.
Source: UK Department of Education
As stated above, the study shows that of all the work sectors most exposed to AI are finance and insurance. Other most vulnerable sectors are information and communications; professional, scientific and technical, property; public administration and defense; and education.
As fascinating as the list of job types Very a list of these is unveiled least exposed. Many of these roles require manual labor that cannot be replicated using AI or technology in general, such as athletes, roofers, forklift drivers, painters, window cleaners and bricklayers:
Source: UK Department of Education
Among the “professional” professions, the least exposed to artificial intelligence are: veterinarians, medical radiologists, dentists, physiotherapists and older workers
policemen. The least vulnerable industries include food services; motor trade, agriculture, forestry and fishing; transport and storage; and construction.
According to the study, will artificial intelligence really replace any job?
Interestingly, the study focuses almost exclusively on exposure to AI, rather than the jobs at risk from the technology. That said, they have a list of 16 job types that are considered “highly automated jobs,” which a pessimist might infer to mean jobs that could one day be replaced by automation.
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Authors, writers and translators
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Bank and post office officials
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Accountants, payroll managers and payroll officers
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Brokers Competitions in call and contact centers
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Customer service occupations not elsewhere classified
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Financial officers
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Professions related to financial administration, not elsewhere classified
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Human resources administrative professions
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Librarians
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Market research surveyors
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Other administrative professions not classified elsewhere
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Pension and insurance officials and assistants
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Telephone salespeople
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Travel agency intermediaries
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Typist and related keyboarding professions
You may notice some overlap between this list and the list of professions most vulnerable to AI. This is because the study notes that all of these positions have high AIOE scores, both in terms of exposure to artificial intelligence and continuing education.
I can’t predict the future and neither can this study. In fact, it cautions that the results generated here are based on assumptions that may or may not prove to be true over time. That said, it’s a good look at the situation from a data-driven perspective. And for the record, I am NO I’m glad “writers” are at the top of this automation list.
