An analysis of over a million conversations between users and their AI assistants aimed to understand AI's potential impact on the workforce.
Researchers mapped the tasks from these conversations to over 700 distinct occupations, identifying jobs where AI might automate or augment tasks.
This analysis revealed that by the end of 2024, AI was expected to automate or augment roughly 25% of daily functions across all professions.
Data entry, bookkeeping, customer service, and manufacturing are considered to be at higher risk of automation, according to researchers at Anthropic, the AI company behind Claude.
These roles typically involve routine, repetitive tasks and structured activities, as well as information processing, synthesis, and certain types of content creation.
This includes administrative and clerical work, market research analysis, and aspects of legal work, such as paralegal tasks.
While the study does not definitively state that AI will eliminate these jobs, it highlights the potential for disruption and transformation across various sectors.
Many positions will likely see AI acting as an augmentation tool, assisting human workers by automating mundane tasks and allowing them to concentrate on more complex, creative, and value-added activities.
The study emphasizes the importance of reskilling and upskilling programs to prepare the workforce for an AI-driven economy, rather than solely focusing on potential job losses.
This involves developing skills in areas such as data literacy, AI and machine learning, cybersecurity, and essential human skills like communication, leadership, and analytical thinking.
This career tip was reiterated in a post shared on social media during the WOC STEM Conference on navigating the AI Disruption Job Market:
To manage your career in the age of disruption, think of yourself as a lifelong learner and strategic adapter.
The rise of AI is transforming industries, including healthcare, finance, and cybersecurity, and the most resilient professionals are those who continuously upskill.
Focus on strengthening your digital literacy, data interpretation skills, and emotional intelligence—qualities that AI cannot replicate.
Embrace platforms like STEM City USA for virtual mentorship, workshops, and insights from trailblazing professionals who are already leading in AI-driven sectors.
Jobs requiring human qualities such as empathy, creativity, critical thinking, complex problem-solving, and interpersonal skills are less likely to be fully automated.
Examples of these roles include healthcare providers, educators, skilled tradespeople, and leaders in human resources and organizational development.
For more than a millennium, "wisdom workers" have relied on their real-world experience to navigate emerging situations.
These workers apply their knowledge and experience to master new challenges, blending formal expertise with practical insights.
Beyond just knowledge, wisdom workers integrate their understanding with experience and intuition to make sound decisions in complex and uncertain circumstances.
Knowledge workers, on the other hand, acquire and process information. Together, knowledge and wisdom workers have contributed to forming a new society by utilizing their expertise and skills to address societal challenges, drive innovation, and promote collaboration.
They play a crucial role in economic and social progress by creating new ideas, technologies, and creative content.
Furthermore, these workers can lead the way in developing new management practices that empower individuals, promote lifelong learning, and encourage adaptability in a rapidly changing world.
