Artificial Intelligence is everywhere. Whether you're a faithful ChatGPT user or have bought a new generation of smartphone or laptop, you've encountered the technology at some point or another, prompting a change in the way in which you interact with your devices and carry out your daily tasks. And while convenience is great, there's a certain stress associated with AI, especially since it's such a seismic development that may render a lot of jobs obsolete.
Here's what you should know about AI's role in jobs, and those who are more at risk:
Jobs at risk
According to Bill Gates, the forefather of personal computing, AI will be able to carry out most jobs in the future. “It’s very profound and even a little bit scary — because it’s happening very quickly, and there is no upper bound,” said Gates in a talk at Harvard University. He believes AI is the most significant tech development since the '80s. So buckle up.
The Standard reports that some of the most at-risk jobs, according to research and surveys, are those that involve heavy computer use:
- Admin and secretarial work
- Anything involving a computer
According to Public Policy Research, up to 70 per cent of tasks in jobs that are computer-based could be replaced by AI. Melanie Moller, an expert who works with businesses to help them develop better AI usage, provided some helpful context. “Anything that requires basic writing, data entry, or responding to queries could be at risk,” she said.
Who's safe?
The Standard claims that jobs that require a person to carry out tasks with their hands and bodies should be safe, at least before the arrival of Androids. Just kidding. Or are we?
- Chefs
- Construction workers
- Strippers
In an appearance on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," Bill Gates argued that sports and activities involving humans' direct influence should be safe from AI's input. “You know, like baseball. We won't want to watch computers play baseball,” he said.
“So there'll be some things that we reserve for ourselves, but in terms of making things and moving things, and growing food, over time, those will be basically solved problems."