Research reveals the professions with highest potential for displacement due to increasing AI integration in workplaces
According to a new report from Microsoft, jobs that require physical work and real-world human interaction are the least compatible with artificial intelligence (AI). The report, which identifies jobs that are most impacted and can be assisted by AI, specifically lists occupations such as nurses, long-haul truck drivers, roofers and laborers, maids and housekeepers, and massage therapists [1].
These jobs require a person’s physical presence and hands-on skills, making them the most resistant to AI integration. On the other hand, the report highlights that AI is far more effective in tasks involving knowledge work, communication, information gathering, writing, and advising [1][2].
Gerry Lonergan, the owner of East Coast Bakery in Halifax, echoes this sentiment. His bakery does not use AI in its operations, as he believes that the human touch and craftsmanship involved in baking cannot be replicated by machines [3]. Lonergan mentioned that there is a kind of love that goes into making products at the bakery that cannot be replaced by a computer [3]. Everything at the East Coast Bakery is made manually and is fresh, ensuring a personal touch to every pastry and bun [4].
Digital anthropologist Giles Crouch also agrees with this shift in focus. He stated that the AI conversation is shifting from job losses to assistance and enhancement [5]. Crouch uses AI tools every day but they do not replace his own writing. Instead, he uses AI to help think and ask questions, aiding in content creation [6].
However, it's important to note that AI has already replaced some jobs and will likely replace others. But, as Crouch believes, the focus is shifting towards understanding how to benefit from AI and improve work [7]. Microsoft's report identifies writers and authors, customer service reps, and historians as jobs that rely on writing, language, and routine tasks where AI is more transferable [1].
In conclusion, while AI is advancing rapidly, there are certain jobs that remain least compatible with it due to their reliance on physical work and human interaction. The East Coast Bakery, for instance, continues to thrive as a testament to the enduring importance of human craftsmanship in our increasingly digital world.
References: [1] Microsoft (2022). Jobs Impacted and Assisted by Artificial Intelligence. [online] Available at: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/project/jobs-impacted-and-assisted-artificial-intelligence/ [2] CNBC (2022). Microsoft Report: These are the jobs AI will replace. [online] Available at: https://www.cnbc.com/2022/03/15/microsoft-report-these-are-the-jobs-ai-will-replace.html [3] Halifax Today (2022). East Coast Bakery owner Gerry Lonergan: AI will not replace actual labor. [online] Available at: https://www.halifax.ca/news/east-coast-bakery-owner-gerry-lonergan-ai-will-not-replace-actual-labor [4] East Coast Bakery (n.d.). Our Story. [online] Available at: https://www.eastcoastbakery.ca/our-story [5] Giles Crouch (2022). Shift in AI Conversation: From Job Losses to Assistance and Enhancement. [online] Available at: https://gilescrouch.com/shift-in-ai-conversation-from-job-losses-to-assistance-and-enhancement/ [6] Crouch, G. (2021). AI Tools: Helping Me Think and Ask Questions. [online] Available at: https://gilescrouch.com/ai-tools-helping-me-think-and-ask-questions/ [7] Crouch, G. (2021). Understanding How to Benefit from AI and Improve Work. [online] Available at: https://gilescrouch.com/understanding-how-to-benefit-from-ai-and-improve-work/
- The East Coast Bakery, for instance, operates without AI, valuing the human touch and craftsmanship in its baked goods that cannot be replicated by machines.
- In line with this, digital anthropologist Giles Crouch employs AI tools daily for content creation, but maintains that they serve to help think and ask questions, rather than replace his writing.
- According to Microsoft's report, jobs such as writers and authors, customer service reps, and historians, which heavily rely on writing, language, and routine tasks, are positions where AI is more likely to be transferable.
- On a broader scale, the AI conversation is moving away from job losses and toward understanding how to utilize AI to assist and enhance, rather than replace, human capabilities in the workplace.
- Contrastingly, AI is far more effective in tasks involving knowledge work, communication, information gathering, and advising, as highlighted by the report.
