Following the public launch of ChatGPT in November 2022, job postings for roles involving highly structured and repetitive tasks—those susceptible to automation via AI—saw a 13% decline. According to a working paper authored by Suraj Srinivasan, a professor at Harvard Business School, it is projected that jobs involving analytical, technical, or creative work—tasks that can be augmented by AI—will experience a 20% increase.
These results provide an initial glimpse into how companies are adopting generative AI; while this has sparked a race among companies to boost operational efficiency, it has simultaneously created an atmosphere of fear among employees regarding potential job losses.
Prof. Srinivasan asserts that, instead of eliminating jobs, generative AI will generate numerous new demands—specifically in areas where AI can be further optimised. This suggests that the collaborative efforts of humans and AI will bring about significant transformations in the labour market; the impact of this shift is expected to be most pronounced in the finance and technology sectors.
These refer to tasks that can be performed more effectively with the aid of AI, requiring no human intervention.
- Microbiologists
- Financial Analysts
- Clinical Neuropsychologists
OpenAI's ChatGPT was utilised to analyse over 19,000 distinct tasks across more than 900 professions, identifying those that could be automated with the assistance of AI. A detailed report was generated for each profession, outlining the specific areas where AI is likely to have an impact.
Correspondence clerks, Telemarketers, Word processors & typists, Order clerks, Payroll clerks, Writers & authors.
HR assistants, Bookkeeping & accounting clerks, Customer service representatives, Web developers, Computer programmers, Receptionists
Data scientists, Journalists, Accountants, Marketing specialists, and financial advisors
Engineers (civil, mechanical, aerospace), Lawyers, Teachers, Managers, Psychologists
Doctors & surgeons, Nurses, Electricians, Construction workers, Drivers & mechanics
Key Points
- In the coming days, AI will impact jobs across the world. Work in many sectors will be automated with the help of AI, while in several other areas, new job opportunities will emerge as a result.