AI Won't Replace Humans at Work, But 5 Jobs Will Feel Its Impact

A recent report indicates that while AI is not expected to replace human workers entirely, five specific occupations are likely to experience significant effects from its integration. These jobs may face changes in responsibilities or the need for new skills as AI technologies advance. Understanding these impacts can help professionals prepare for the evolving job landscape and adapt to new technological demands.

Artificial intelligence is transforming the work landscape for some individuals, but it is not yet ready to fully replace human labor, according to a recent report from Indeed.

The report, published on September 25, found that none of the more than 2,800 workplace skills identified by Indeed Hiring Lab were deemed “very likely” to be supplanted by generative AI.

A significant majority, 68.7%, of skills were classified as “very unlikely” or “unlikely” to be replaced by AI, while 28.5% might be “potentially” replaceable. The analysis included soft skills like communication, leadership, and organization, as well as technical skills such as specific programming languages and hands-on abilities like cooking and administering medication.

“We mapped all these skills to over a million job postings from the past year or so and evaluated whether generative AI could replace a human in performing those specific job functions,” explains Svenja Gudell, Indeed’s chief economist. “The findings were striking, as we discovered that there were literally no skills deemed very likely to be replaceable.”

Indeed utilized GPT-4o, OpenAI’s latest multimodal generative AI model, to assess its capabilities across three areas: providing theoretical knowledge related to skills, applying those skills to solve problems, and executing those skills physically or digitally.

The model then rated the likelihood of generative AI replacing a person for a given skill.

The research suggests that AI is currently more suited to support roles for workers: While it demonstrates relatively high technical skills, it lacks the problem-solving and hands-on abilities necessary to rival human labor.

“Our conclusion is that generative AI, at least in its current state — which is a significant caveat — acts more like an advanced digital assistant and can certainly enhance our productivity in certain settings,” Gudell states. “However, it is not replacing humans just yet.”

Indeed's researchers analyzed 16 occupations and identified five jobs with the greatest share of skills likely to be replaced by AI, including:

1. Accounting professionals
2. Marketing and advertising specialists
3. Software developers
4. Health care administrative support staff
5. Insurance claims and inspection officers

The repetitive and technical nature of the skills in these roles plays into AI’s strengths, Gudell notes, as these positions require less physical interaction.

Conversely, jobs that involve client or customer interactions, physical presence, or complex problem-solving are the least likely to be replaced. For example, patient-facing healthcare roles such as nursing are cited as less susceptible to replacement.

However, Gudell encourages workers not to shy away from career paths that may be more vulnerable to AI replacement. Instead, she advises those interested in software development to learn how to leverage AI tools to enhance their productivity and improve their competitiveness in the job market.

“It’s about maximizing the use of these tools to your advantage during your job search,” Gudell concludes.

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Source: cnbc‍