Will AI Steal My Job?
There is much fear mongering on social media and news outlets about the future of AI, and how it will affect our lives. The projections run the gamut from helpful tool to executioner of the human race. While both ends of this spectrum exist only in theory, there is one pressing question that will become a part of our not-to-distant reality: Will AI steal my job?
The consensus of most AI experts points to the following jobs being largely eliminated by AI, and many of them are already being replaced:
Jobs and Tasks Most at Risk
Office and Administrative Support: Data entry clerks, office clerks, and receptionists face high exposure because AI can instantly sort documents, update records, and schedule appointments.
Basic Customer Service: Simple call center roles and text-based support agents are heavily automated by advanced chatbots that handle routine troubleshooting and frequently asked questions.
Entry-Level Coding and Writing: Junior programmers writing basic code and copywriters producing formulaic marketing text or social media posts see their initial drafts generated quickly by AI.
Routine Finance and Research: Basic bookkeeping, low-complexity financial analysis, and basic market research can be executed by machine learning tools in seconds.
Jobs That Are Changing, Not Disappearing
Management and Strategy: Middle management and project leaders still need human accountability, negotiation, and ethical judgment, but AI will handle their reports, scheduling, and analyses.
Legal Services: Paralegals and lawyers will use AI for document review and legal research, but humans will still continue to interact with clients, and represent them in court.
Design and Engineering: Graphic designers and software engineers will use AI as a tool to speed up production, but creative directors and engineers will still be needed to decide on basic directions and final quality control.
In short, any job that consists of repetitive tasks, with no requirement for deeper human connection and interaction, will be replaced by AI
Safest Jobs From AI Replacement
Healthcare: Doctors, nurses, therapists, and counselors rely on physical presence, trust, empathy, and hands-on medical care.
Skilled Trades: Electricians, plumbers, mechanics, and HVAC technicians perform physical work in changing real-world environments that software cannot touch.
Education: Teachers and instructors depend on human connection, real-time classroom adaptation, and personal mentorship, but AI will continue to be used as a research tool.
So How Fast Will This Happen?
Eric Weinstein, a leading American investor and AI theorist, views AI not just as a new tool, but as a “high-speed tsunami” that will disrupt traditional career paths much faster than society can naturally adapt. He is a strong advocate of the current labor force making a concerted effort to diversify their skill set, focusing–as mentioned above–on human interaction. He advises that people should have the goal of becoming generalists instead of specialists, and focus on cross-disciplinary learning. He further advises that people prepare themselves to continuously pivot in their worklife, as developments in AI continue to roll out.
Some AI theorists, like Elon Musk, insist that AI will take over so many jobs that most people won’t have to work anymore. He projects that the only solution to this is that a universal basic wage will be provided to everyone in the current labor force.
No matter what happens, it is clear that people need to be ready to adapt to change. Even without the gloom and doom of the Terminator movies where “Skynet becomes aware” and proceeds to kill off the human race, dramatic developments are most certainly on the horizon.
So, diversify and focus on your people skills. People who do will thrive in the new economy that may arrive faster than we think.
Until next time
Scott and Lennart