The Big AI Takeover: What Jobs Are Most at Risk of Being Automated?

Even before we fully grasped the potential of ChatGPT, GPT-4 arrived, as did Google’s Bard, and now all the rage is around AutoGPT. Battle of the GPTs aside, one thing is clear: Artificial Intelligence (AI) will have a lasting impact on the way we work, and how we choose to respond will make all the difference. In fact, 31% of respondents in our recent survey across Southeast Asia opined that “AI will result in higher unemployment as there will be less need for humans to carry out work”, while 33% mentioned that “AI will result in the loss of certain jobs, but new types of jobs will be created so things will balance out.”

While the former sentiment may be out of our direct control, the latter is something we can draw much inspiration from. These new jobs, however, will also need fresh skills. One way to go about acquiring such skills is retraining ourselves. As the commonly circulated saying on social media goes these days, “AI won’t replace you. a person using AI will.” Although, this may be a half-truth, AI does have the potential to completely replace a number of jobs. Some possible key ones include:

The above isn’t an exhaustive list, and the fact is that AI is likely to impact nearly every job function to some level or another—writers, editors, marketers, SEO experts, and even teachers, to name just an additional few.

In a recent Blackbox survey conducted in Southeast Asia on the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on society in the next decade, the most prevalent sentiment (21%) expressed was that individuals would need to undergo retraining in order to secure employment in this changing job market. Furthermore, 13% of respondents agreed that the customer service domain will almost entirely be taken over by AI, a finding consistent with predictions elsewhere. A report by investment bank Goldman Sachs is even more alarming, which predicts that AI could replace the equivalent of 300 million full time jobs globally. That’s essentially 18% of all work being automated!

Blackbox’s take on how we can mitigate AI’s impact on employment

Retraining ourselves is therefore essential to help protect our jobs from AI taking over them. How do we do this? Here’s our 3-step guide:

The first step is identifying the skills that are in demand in the job market. This requires keeping abreast of the latest trends and developments in one’s industry and acquiring new skills that are in demand (cue to subscribe to our newsletter here!).

The second step is focusing on developing skills that are difficult for AI to replicate, such as creativity, emotional intelligence, critical thinking, and problem-solving. These skills require human judgment, intuition, and empathy, which are not easily replaceable by machines.

The third step is embracing lifelong learning and continuously gathering new knowledge outside of one’s domain expertise and comfort. This requires being open to new ideas, technologies, and approaches and adapting to the changing job market rather than having a cynical, doom and gloom mindset.

Being welcoming and wary of AI in equal measure is the wisest move and the right strategies can help us brace for the inevitable impact of emerging tech on our work and everyday lives. To understand how your line of work can benefit from our insights, reach out to us on connect@blackbox.com.sg. We promise you that a human will respond, not a chatbot.