AI and automation are transforming workforces across organisations. Various companies, including tech giants such as Microsoft and Tata Consultancy Services, have already announced job cuts due to the impact of these technologies on daily workflows. Recently, Microsoft released a study highlighting AI's impact on the workforce. In this study, researchers analysed Copilot interactions across various industries in the US to identify 40 jobs significantly impacted by AI and also 40 roles where AI is barely useful.
The study aimed to understand how generative AI tools like ChatGPT and Copilot are utilised across different job roles. It measured how often workers use chatbots and the success rate of these interactions in accomplishing their actual work. It also measured "AI applicability" in job roles to determine how closely AI aligned with the core duties of their profession. Based on data from Microsoft's Copilot usage, here are the top 10 jobs with the highest overlap with AI:
- Interpreters and translators
- Historians
- Passenger attendants
- Sales representatives (services)
- Writers and authors
- Customer service representatives
- CNC tool programmers
- Telephone operators
- Ticket agents and travel clerks
- Broadcast announcers and radio DJs
These jobs involve tasks such as repetitive communication, content generation, summarising information, answering questions, or pulling data, where AI chatbots have performed well. Other roles among the list of 40 jobs that overlap with AI include news reporters, editors, proofreaders, public relations specialists, and technical writers. These are job roles where AI has proven its utility.
Least impact jobs
The study also identified 40 roles where AI has little to no relevance. These roles primarily involve tasks that require physical presence, manual labor, or emotional care. Here are the top 10 jobs least affected by AI:
- Dredge operators
- Bridge and lock tenders
- Maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Roofers, concrete finishers, and floor sanders
- Massage therapists and phlebotomists
- Dishwashers and highway maintenance workers
- Licensed nursing assistants and medical technicians
Most roles not impacted by AI involve hands-on skills, human judgment, or direct care, which cannot be accomplished by AI.
AI: A companion, not a job killer
Microsoft has clearly stated that, currently, no jobs can be performed entirely by AI. Even in jobs with significant AI overlap, human professionals are still essential. AI tools can only enhance productivity but cannot replace professionals. However, it's important to note that the study was solely based on text-based inputs, and these job roles could still face threats of disruption if robotics or other automation technologies advance significantly.
Complete list of 40 jobs impacted by AI
- Interpreters and Translators
- Historians
- Social Science Research Assistants
- Sociologists
- Political Scientists
- Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators
- Public Relations Specialists
- Editors
- Clinical Data Managers
- Reporters and Journalists
- Technical Writers
- Copy Writers
- Proofreaders and Copy Markers
- Correspondence Clerks
- Court Reporters
- Writers and Authors
- Postsecondary Teachers (Communications, English, History)
- Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers
- Credit Counselors
- Tax Preparers
- Paralegals and Legal Assistants
- Legal Secretaries
- Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers
- Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists
- Market Research Analysts
- Management Analysts
- Fundraisers
- Human Resources Specialists
- Customer Service Representatives
- Sales Representatives (Services)
- Insurance Underwriters
- Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators
- Loan Officers
- Financial Examiners
- Budget Analysts
- Training and Development Specialists
- Computer Systems Analysts
- Data Scientists
- Database Architects
- Travel Agents
Complete list of 40 jobs least impacted by AI
- Dredge Operators
- Bridge and Lock Tenders
- Pump Operators
- Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators
- Power Distributors and Dispatchers
- Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant Operators
- Waste Treatment Plant Operators
- Crushing, Grinding Machine Operators
- Roofers
- Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers
- Logging Equipment Operators
- Mine Cutting Machine Operators
- Continuous Mining Machine Operators
- Construction Laborers
- Terrazzo Workers
- Reinforcing Iron and Rebar Workers
- Pipelayers
- Hazardous Materials Removal Workers
- Septic Tank Servicers
- Tire Builders
- Fence Erectors
- Derrick Operators (Oil and Gas)
- Roustabouts (Oil and Gas)
- Furnace, Kiln, Oven Operators
- Insulation Workers
- Structural Iron and Steel Workers
- Hazardous Waste Technicians
- Phlebotomists
- Embalmers
- Massage Therapists
- Physical Therapist Aides
- Firefighting Supervisors
- Construction Supervisors
- Excavating Operators
- Drilling and Boring Machine Operators
- Hoist and Winch Operators
- Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators
- Dishwashers
- Janitors and Cleaners
- Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners
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