These jobs are most at risk of being replaced by AI

The rapid development and spread of artificial intelligence technology is set to fundamentally reshape almost all aspects of life – but workplaces could be among the first to see dramatic changes.

A leading technology expert has offered a prediction about occupations that may soon no longer exist, at least in a way that will require the services of a human worker.

Last year, the World Economic Forum published a shocking report that warned that around 26 million jobs will be lost to AI technology over the next three years.

Niusha Shafiabady, an associate professor of computational intelligence at the Australian Catholic University’s Peter Faber School of Business, has modeled the jobs most likely to be disrupted in three major industries in AI visualizations.

They are educational and health services, professional and business services, as well as leisure and hospitality.

Work on the cutting block

In the education space, those working in a secretarial role in schools and universities could be replaced “relatively quickly” by AI, Dr Shafiabady said.

Librarians are also at risk, as are specialists who teach extracurricular activities, such as music.

“They can be done programmatically with a computer with a camera. If you’re a parent taking your child to after-school music lessons, you know the hassle involved in a 30-minute music lesson. If you have an alternative to this, you will probably accept it.

“A computer program that shows your child how to play and teaches them every principle that a music teacher shows them, and at the same time corrects them when they are practicing, will be easier and perhaps more free to use.”

AI could see librarians become obsolete, with their tasks – managing the borrowing and issuing of materials, providing advice on useful resources and even surpassing human knowledge with an instant encyclopedic knowledge of the world – easily copied by AI .

“The obvious choice for jobs in the health services space is the role of a clinic receptionist, which can be done by software and computers in a much cheaper and hassle-free way,” said Dr Shafiabady.

But more than that, the roles of nutritionist, speech therapist and even personal fitness trainer are at risk, she said.

“All these tasks can be performed by a computer with a camera, given by an intelligent program, and the same principles given in the example of the music teacher apply to them.”

In the professional and business services space, customer service representatives and fast food workers are most at risk, as are those who work in sales.

Across the United States, major fast-food chains are already piloting the use of AI in drive-thru, replacing humans with verbal chatbots that can quickly and accurately take orders.

Local experts have previously said it is only a matter of time before similar technology is adopted in Australia.

Another job at risk is that of a public relations professional, she said.

“AI algorithms have the ability to repeat these tasks. For example, a public relations representative manages communications and promotes the public image of the organization.

“AI algorithms can look at these through the inputs they receive and target objectively [at] different groups to promote an organization or a client.

“The same principle applies to a sales representative targeting the public. An AI program knows everyone’s preferences better than a human if it has access to them [customer’s] history of their activities, so it will be able to target people for product sales in a smart way.”

Finally, in the leisure and hospitality industry, hotel concierges are likely to become a thing of the past, with AI able to replicate the vast majority of tasks.

Want tips on where to go for dinner in a city you’re visiting? Want to get tickets to a theater performance? Lost your bearings and want some easy guidance? An AI-powered kiosk, or even a human-looking robot, can do all of this—and more.

Travel agents have already been significantly disrupted in the internet age, with easy and free booking portals and direct purchases becoming the norm over the last few decades.

The use of AI will only accelerate the significant displacement of that work, said Dr Shafiabady.

Likewise, the role of an event planner may soon become obsolete.

“A computer program that has access to the data associated with all these roles can take in the information, process it and make decisions based on people’s priorities faster or sometimes better than a human.”

Those working in industries or roles most likely to be affected by AI should start thinking about how to mitigate the risks now, she said.

“We need to start thinking strategically and learn the skills of the future to protect ourselves. Our ancestors have gone through these changes many times in history, for example during the industrial revolution. Now it’s our turn to do the same.”

Wider workplace impacts

Even if your profession appears to be safe — for a while, at least — AI will have broader impacts beyond replacing humans.

A team of researchers from Massey University in New Zealand and the University of Queensland examined the rapid spread of AI in the HR space.

More and more companies are turning to technology to improve and accelerate their recruiting practices.

Automatic review of CVs submitted by applicants for open roles already happens at scale.

In some cases, applications are filtered before they reach a human, meaning that those that the AI ​​determines are not up to scratch are discarded immediately.

In the analysis for Conversationthey write: “AI in recruitment promises greater objectivity and efficiency during the hiring process by eliminating human bias and increasing fairness and consistency in decision-making.

“But our research shows that AI can increase bias subtly – and sometimes overtly. And the involvement of HR professionals can exacerbate rather than alleviate these effects.

“It challenges our belief that human oversight can contain and moderate AI.”

Given that AI language sets are informed by human behavior and communication, they already come with built-in biases.

“For example, in countries with different lengths of military service for men and women, an AI could infer gender based on length of service,” the researchers offered.

So even those roles that cannot be replicated by technology can still be affected in some way due to AI intervention in the initial stage of employment.

Lots of rewards with lots of risk

Kylie Walker, chief executive of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, said there were many potential benefits – but not without handrails.

“Greater adoption of AI could boost Australia’s economy by $200 billion a year, but it is essential that strong measures are implemented quickly to protect these areas and position Australia at the forefront of AI development, said Mrs. Walker.

“Further investment in local AI innovations will both create new AI industries and countries here in Australia and reduce our dependence on internationally developed and maintained systems.”

But building public trust in AI will be a long and challenging process, experts say.

Research by the University of Queensland and consulting firm KMPG found that two-thirds of people either don’t want to trust AI or are ambivalent about using it.

“However, trust and acceptance depend on the application of AI,” the report noted.

“For example, the use of AI in healthcare is more reliable than the use of AI for HR purposes. People tend to have confidence in the ability and helpfulness of AI systems, but are more skeptical about their safety, security and fairness.

“Many people feel ambivalent about using AI, reporting optimism and excitement, coupled with fear and concern.”

Erica Mealy, a lecturer in computer science at the University of the Sunshine Coast, said people had a right to be nervous.

“AI systems are trained on unfathomably large datasets using advanced mathematics that most people don’t understand,” Dr Mealy explained in the analysis for Conversation.

“They give results that we have no way of verifying. Even the most sophisticated and sophisticated systems produce results riddled with errors.

“ChatGPT seems to be getting less accurate over time. Even at its best it can’t tell you what letters are in the word ‘strawberry’. Meanwhile, Google’s Gemini chatbot has recommended putting glue on pizza, among other comical fails.”

Last month, the Federal Government published its voluntary AI safety standards alongside a discussion paper calling for greater regulation of the technology

In doing so, Industry and Science Minister Ed Husic stated: “We need more people to use AI and to do that we need to build trust.”

Dr. Mealy criticized the stance given the valuable public concern.

“The case for using more of it seems pretty weak — and also potentially dangerous,” she said.

Aside from the risks, ranging from security to basic security, Dr Mealy said the government’s own research showed that the promises of AI were far from being fulfilled.

This research showed that “humans are more effective, efficient and productive than AI,” she said, urging supporters to “cut blind hope.”