This is a question a lot of workers are asking themselves in 2023. From ChatGPT to killer robots the news coverage of AI tends towards the pessimistic and it is understandable that workers are concerned. But which jobs will be impacted by AI first?
Will AI Take My Job in 2023?
For an unlucky few the answer is yes. In fact, 122,900 workers have already lost their job to artificial intelligence this year. Almost one in three workers are afraid that AI will take their job and it is easy to see why. The news coverage is predominantly negative and some reports are quoting job loss numbers into the hundreds of millions. However, if you have survived this far then you will probably survive the rest of the year.
Will AI Take My Job Soon?
That really depends on your industry and the type of work you do. If your role is in any way physical then you are safe. Robotics is a fascinating area but the advancements are slow (relatively speaking) and the technology is expensive. Plumbers, electricians, farmers, nurses, bricklayers and anyone else who is in need of a good sit down at the end of their work day is safe. The main exception here is warehouse workers as this is one area where robotics already exist.
However, if your job requires nothing physical beyond the occasional trip to the printer then you are potentially at risk. The more repetitive and monotonous the job, the more likely it is AI will replace it. Jobs that require creativity, decision-making, or responsibility are much safer.
A recent report in Euronews highlighted mathematicians, accountants and legal secretaries as jobs that were 100% exposed to AI. These are by no means low-skill jobs, quite the contrary in fact. However, they are repetitive, fact-based jobs that often rely on rules rather than creativity or judgment. Remember, the more your job can be automated, the bigger the risk of it being taken over by AI.
The reality is many companies will be targeting an aggressive reduction in headcount in these roles by 2030. That does not mean they will achieve it, but in this high-cost, high-inflation environment companies focus on cutbacks. The first wave of these job losses will come via automation.
AI Job Automation
As we discussed in our AI Job Loss Statistics post, AI and automation will impact all of us. Some jobs and some demographics may bit hit sooner but the AI automation drive is well and truly underway. While some jobs will be "automated away", for example, legal secretaries according to Euronews, others will remain but change massively. Sales jobs are one area that illustrates this AI impact from extreme automation. Sales jobs will never go away but through the use of generative AI, the industry could look very different in the near future.
Where Will AI Take Jobs
There is a general consensus that AI will impact the world's wealthier countries the most. This makes sense. The economies of wealthier nations are far more services based and already rely on technology more and that makes them far more susceptible to AI automation. There is also an economic factor. Companies are generally motivated by profits and reducing headcount in expensive regions generates more financial save than reducing headcount in low-cost regions. This might sound blunt but it is true, and the recent wave of job losses illustrates it.
Will AI Take My Software Engineer Job
For the most part, unfortunately, the answer looks like yes. OpenAI reckons software engineering jobs might vanish entirely. Personally, I am not so pessimistic but there is absolutely no doubt that AI will drastically change software engineering as a career and industry. This example from ChatGPT shows the ease at which generative AI can produce useful C++ code.
Will AI Take My Graphic Designer Job
Graphic design is another industry expected to suffer at the hands of artificial intelligence. Apps like Leonardo and Midjourney have gone viral in 2023 and it is easy to see why. Visual content is naturally engaging and text-to-image AI generators have caught the public's attention. The question is what will this do for job prospects for graphic designers? It is probably too soon to say, but my expectation is there will be far fewer people employed in this area by 2030 than there are today, and freelancers will be the worst hit.
How To Prevent AI from Taking Your Job
There are a few ways to prepare yourself against AI automation and AI job losses. The first thing to do is understand how vulnerable your particular job is to automation. Is your job white-collar or more physical in nature? Is it repetitive or creative?
The other key thing to focus on is your own skill set. If, like many officer-based workers, your skillset has developed into the smooth execution of repetitive tasks it might be time to up-skill. A more drastic approach might be to consider a new line of work entirely.
Of course, you can always follow Aiifi to stay up to date with all the latest AI news.
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