Just in case you weren't already convinced that the artificial intelligence revolution was upon us, one of the world's biggest companies has now released a shocking document confirming our worst fears when it comes to the human race being replaced by machines.
While there's no denying the potential advantages of artificial intelligence, there are obvious worries about drawbacks like job losses, AI's own intentions when it realizes it's smarter than us, and whether we're heading to a Terminator-inspired future where it could wipe out the human race.
Even as some look to a dystopian end where AI goes on a robotic killing spree, the more immediate fear is which jobs are most at risk of being automated. Microsoft's Bill Gates has already said he thinks only three jobs will survive the AI revolution, and now, the tech giant has passed its judgment on who will and won't make the cut.
As the second-biggest company in the world, Microsoft has just published a research study revealing 40 jobs that it thinks are 'safe' from being swapped out for AI.
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On the flip side of this, the tech giant also predicts the 40 jobs that are most at risk. There's something of a tragic irony in this, especially as Microsoft recently let some 9,000 staff go as it vowed to channel $80 billion into AI innovation.
Which jobs are most at risk of being replaced by AI?
The Microsoft Research study has ranked 40 jobs it thinks could soon be automated, with an 'AI applicability score' metric assessing how current human jobs match up to the capabilities of ChatGPT and others. As pointed out by Tom's Guide, the following 40 jobs could be at risk of automation:
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- Customer Service Representatives
- Sales Representatives of Services
- Market Research Analysts
- Management Analysts
- Data Scientists
- Public Relations Specialists
- Technical Writers
- Editors
- Writers and Authors
- News Analysts / Reporters / Journalists
- Interpreters and Translators
- Proofreaders and Copy Markers
- Web Developers
- Public Safety Telecommunicators
- Business Teachers, Postsecondary
- Economics Teachers, Postsecondary
- Library Science Teachers, Postsecondary
- Political Scientists
- Historians
- Mathematicians
- Statistical Assistants
- Demonstrators & Product Promoters
- Models
- Hosts and Hostesses
- Concierges
- Advertising Sales Agents
- New Accounts Clerks
- Counter and Rental Clerks
- Telephone Operators
- Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks
- Broadcast Announcers & Radio DJs
- Brokerage Clerks
- Farm & Home Management Educators
- Telemarketers
- Personal Financial Advisors
- Interpreters / Translators (duplicate reference in original)
In terms of those most at risk, it's not looking good for customer service representatives, which make up nearly 2.86 million jobs. Kiran Tomlinson, Senior Researcher at Microsoft, notes: "Our study explores which job categories can productively use AI chatbots. It highlights where AI might change how work is done, not take away or replace jobs.”
Which jobs are 'safest' from being replaced by AI?
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Much like 'Godfather of AI' Jeffrey Hinton said plumbers and other manual jobs are the safest, Microsoft's research appears to agree. Basically, it seems that those with hands-on skills are the least likely to be replaced...for now. The 40 most 'secure' jobs include:
- Automotive Glass Installers and Repairers
- Bridge and Lock Tenders
- Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers
- Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment
- Commercial Divers
- Construction Laborers
- Continuous Mining Machine Operators
- Cooks, Short Order
- Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas
- Dishwashers
- Dredge Operators
- Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers
- Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas
- Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators
- Fallers (logging)
- Fence Erectors
- Floor Sanders and Finishers
- Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders
- Forest and Conservation Workers
- Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products
- Highway Maintenance Workers
- Insulation Workers, Mechanical
- Janitors and Cleaners
- Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers
- Logging Equipment Operators
- Mine Cutting and Channeling Machine Operators
- Oil and Gas Rotary Drill Operators
- Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders
- Painters, Construction and Maintenance
- Parking Lot Attendants
- Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators
- Pest Control Workers
- Phlebotomists
- Plasterers and Stucco Masons
- Pourers and Casters, Metal
- Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors
- Roofers
- Roustabouts, Oil and Gas
- Structural Iron and Steel Workers
- Tire Repairers and Changers
Still, there's a caveat that we shouldn't take the research as gospel, with Microsoft adding: "It is tempting to conclude that occupations with high overlap will experience job loss. This would be a mistake, as our data do not include the downstream business impacts of new technology, which are very hard to predict."
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Continue to defend the evolution of AI, as CEO Satya Nadella seems obsessed with promoting it; Microsoft compared the current situation to ATMs. Despite changing a major part of a bank teller's role, Microsoft claims bank teller jobs increased as humans focused more on their relationships with customers.
Not everyone is convinced that AI automation is good for the human race, and while champions say we'll have more time on our hands to enjoy ourselves, there are the obvious questions about where we'll get money from to make the most of all that free time.