A study from Princeton University in New Jersey has identified 20 professions that are most at risk from artificial intelligence. Topping the list are call center operators, educators across various disciplines, and sociologists.
In recent years, we’ve seen a surge of AI tools that impress with their ability to tackle complex cognitive tasks. The emergence of the revolutionary AI chatbot ChatGPT has raised questions about the future of many professionals who, just yesterday, felt secure in their jobs.
ChatGPT can take exams, deliver lectures, write programs, compose poetry, and even craft novels. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. This has reignited panic in society about the potential for robots to “replace” human professionals—a sentiment reminiscent of the latter half of the 20th century when machines began displacing workers.
Who’s First on the Chopping Block?
For their research, the scientists developed an algorithm using AI tools to measure the degree of automation across 800 professions.
Initially, this algorithm helped identify 20 professions whose workers are most likely to delegate part of their workload to machines. Many of these jobs are well-paying and require a significant level of education, such as budget analysts, accountants, and judges.
However, when the researchers adjusted the algorithm to account for the significant advancements in AI language modeling, the list changed dramatically.
According to the final ranking, call center workers are at the highest risk of losing their jobs. This isn’t surprising, as many companies are currently employing chatbots in these roles.
Fourteen out of the 20 positions on the list are held by higher education instructors from various fields, including language, history, geography, religion, and sociology. Also at risk are sociologists, political scientists, arbitrators, judges, clinical psychologists, and school psychologists.
Other Perspectives on the Matter
Meanwhile, a research team from the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne in Switzerland has compiled its own ranking of professions that AI may take over. They also identified specialists who are likely to be safe from this threat.
According to the team, meat packers, cleaners, and construction workers are most at risk of losing their jobs to robots, while teachers, lawyers, and physicists are considered safe, as reported by the Daily Mail.
As noted by Professor Raphael Lalive, the lead author of this study, the main challenge for society today is how to remain resilient in the face of automation.
Other studies have identified cashiers, salespeople, drivers, train operators, programmers, DJs, musicians, designers, copywriters, journalists, authors, composers, coaches, police officers, and recruiters as professions at risk from artificial intelligence.
Researchers believe that in an era of widespread robot expansion, professionals must be prepared to reassess their skills, uncover hidden reserves, and acquire new competencies.