The Top 10 Jobs AI Will Replace

Is your job at risk from AI? And what emerging new job opportunities will AI create?

Author

Sindy Smith
July 15, 2024

Is Your Job At Risk From AI?

Top 10 Jobs AI Will Replace Plus Emerging New Job Opportunities AI Will Create

10% of workers have high exposure to AI and low-performance requirements, making their livelihoods most vulnerable to being upended by AI based on an analysis conducted by the White House.

A recent survey of 750 business leaders by ResumeBuilder also revealed that more than a third (37%) have already begun replacing staff due to the efficiency of AI, and nearly half (44%) anticipate more job cuts this year.

McKinsey reports that nearly a third (29.5%) of tasks performed by workers in the United States can be automated by AI.

But the future isn’t all about robots taking over. 

In this article, we’ll explore the top 10 jobs at risk from automation and which new jobs AI will create.

Top 10 Jobs Most At Risk From Automation

1. Data Entry Keyers and Typists

Reports and studies from McKinsey and the World Economic Forum highlight that roles involving routine, repetitive tasks are at high risk of automation.

Data entry jobs, which consist of tasks such as inputting data into spreadsheets, databases, or other types of software, fit this profile.

There’s already been a 66.4% reduction in the number of data entry jobs in less than the past 20 years according to the US Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS), and AI is poised to further drive the sharp decline of these roles in the near future.

2. Fast Food and Counter Workers

Fast-food chains are increasingly adopting AI. For example, Fox News reports that Valiant AI and Holly handle over a million drive-through orders, such as at Hardee's and Carl's Jr.

Self-checkout systems and automated payment kiosks are also replacing traditional cashier roles, particularly in retail environments.

Fast food and counter workers are among the top five occupations considered high risk for automation based on rankings by the US Bureau of Labor and Statistics.

Adecco Group, a leading talent advisory and solutions company, estimates that 57% of these roles are at risk of being replaced by robots.

However, BLS still foresees 11.4% growth in this occupation until 2029.

3. Manufacturing and Assembly Line Workers

Robots have long been integral to manufacturing, performing repetitive tasks with precision and efficiency.

According to MIT, in the US, four key manufacturing sectors utilize 70% of robots:

  • automakers (38%)

  • electronics (15%)

  • plastics and chemicals (10%)

  • metals (7%)

As technology advances, robots are likely to further expand their capabilities, potentially reshaping manufacturing operations across a broader spectrum of industries in the future.

4. Customer Service Representatives

Employment of customer service representatives (CSRs) is projected to decline by 5% from 2022 to 2032, according to the US Bureau of Labor and Statistics.

…And the proliferation of chatbots isn’t helping!

Gartner, a research and consulting services company, predicts that 25% of companies will use chatbots as the primary customer service channel by 2027 based on a survey of over 490 businesses.

AI-powered chatbots can handle a large volume of inquiries, operate 24/7, and can prove to be more cost-effective over time.

Case in point: Fintech company Klarna has recently shared with CBS News that AI is currently doing the work of about 700 full-time CSRs, handling two-thirds of Klarna’s chat inquiries, and reducing repeat inquiries by 25%.

However, chatbot design can vary widely depending on the organization, and adoption at its most widespread level may take some time.

5. Bookkeepers

Bookkeepers are at risk from AI due to its ability to automate repetitive bookkeeping tasks, such as data entry, transaction categorization, and reconciliation of bank statements.

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which are 99% of businesses in the US, are adopting AI-powered accounting software to handle complex financial tasks.

Quickbooks alone is the accounting software of choice for more than 29 million small businesses in the US, according to Fourlane. 

By being cost-effective for small businesses since it can automate repetitive tasks, analyze financial data, provide personalized recommendations, and generate financial reports, AI-powered accounting software reduces the need for human bookkeepers in certain areas.

6. Financial Analysts

Major financial services organizations like Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley are testing AI tools that could eventually replace junior analysts, the New York Times reports.

These AI tools can compile and interpret reports, crunch numbers, and analyze statistics in seconds.

This isn't the first time that financial services organizations are using various automation technologies.

According to SMA Technologies' report, "The State of Automation in Financial Services 2024," about half of all organizations use traditional workload automation tools and job schedulers.

Additionally, 27% use intelligent document processing, and 33% use intelligent process automation with AI.

7. Proofreaders and Copy Markers

Time is the biggest factor in adopting AI in the publishing industry, making proofreading vulnerable to automation.

A survey by UNSILO found that 65% of academic publishers who use AI do so to accelerate the publishing process.

Proofreaders and copy markers, who ensure that texts are free from error through meticulous review of written content, are increasingly supplemented by AI since it streamlines peer review, automates checks and formatting, and screens manuscripts. 

Nature Language Processing (NLP) now evaluates grammar, semantics, research quality, and conclusions, categorizes content, creates summaries, and aids in marketing.

This reduces non-essential editing, boosting manuscript production by 40%, according to a white paper published by Integra.

Tools like Grammarly, ProWritingAid, and Hemingway have increasingly become sophisticated and can quickly analyze large amounts of writing, identifying errors and suggesting replacements relatively quickly.

But while this poses a potential threat to proofreaders, it also offers an opportunity to concentrate on more nuanced tasks, such as checking for cultural, religious, and social norms, allowing AI tools to manage the mechanical aspects.

8. Graphic Designers

According to the UX Design Institute, the search volume for AI design tools and software increased by 1700% from 2022 to 2023.

Generative design AI programs like DALL·E 2 and Midjourney create images based on user prompts within seconds.

Superside, a design company, reported that using AI for 200 reactive projects saved their clients $300K and reduced billable hours, enabling faster turnaround times.

The demand for this transition is also driven by market needs.

A 2022 Venngage poll found that original graphics (36.4%) surpassed stock photos (33.6%) as the most used visual content. In a 2023 survey of 504 Yale undergraduates, respondents could distinguish AI-generated images from human-made ones only 54% of the time.

This shift is influencing many human designers, who now use AI to create mockups, design typography, and color schemes, and generate templates for personalization instead of starting from scratch.

This trend underscores AI's growing role in graphic design, offering cost-effective and efficient solutions for content creation.

Yet, while AI excels in many graphic design tasks, aspects requiring originality, human creativity, and emotional intelligence may remain challenging to replicate.

9. Taxi Drivers

Robotaxis are no longer science fiction of the future. Self-driving taxis have already hit the roads in the cities of San Francisco, Los Angeles, Austin, and Phoenix, Business Insider reports.

Waymo, the self-driving car developed by Google’s parent company, Alphabet, is a leader in this disruption. 

AI has already been powering the taxi industry for some time now, as ride-hailing apps such as Uber, Lyft, and Bolt are themselves AI-powered.

But driverless taxis offer cheaper rides since you’re not tipping, and they can also reduce pollution and energy consumption since robotaxis are typically electric cars.

Waymo is not the only player in this game. Other automakers are pushing limits and developing self-driving cars as well, including Tesla, General Motors, and Ford.

As more robotaxis spread and the public of its safety along with other improvements in AI technology, the future of urban transportation may be dominated by these autonomous vehicles.

10. Truck Operators

The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2023 predicts a 25% churn in the Supply Chain and Transportation industry by 2028, driven primarily by new technologies.

Companies like Aurora are already planning to deploy 20 driverless trucks on Interstate 45 between Dallas and Houston.

Aurora, along with FedEx, Uber Freight, and Werner, aims to use self-driving trucks for terminal loads, complementing human drivers according to the Associated Press. 

Despite this, industrial truck and tractor operator jobs are projected to remain stable until 2032.

The Associated Press reports that a 2021 Transportation Department study suggests that fully automated semis are still years away from nationwide use, providing current drivers time to transition to new roles within transportation and logistics.

What Makes A Job At Risk From Automation?

Will Robots Take My Job? is a website that provides insights into the automation potential of various occupations. 

Their model factors in various attributes such as originality, fluency of ideas, social perceptiveness, and complex problem-solving. 

Occupations that have an extremely high likelihood of being automated in the future consist primarily of repetitive, predictable tasks with little need for human judgment

Conversely, jobs requiring high levels of creativity, judgment, and decision-making—like architects, mechanical engineers, and lawyers—are less likely to be automated.

Positions demanding strong personal interaction and emotional intelligence, such as social workers and mental health counselors, also fall into this category.

Additionally, jobs in complex, unstructured environments like forestry workers are less likely to be automated.

New Jobs AI Will Create

According to the World Economic Forum, the emergence of "jobs of tomorrow" is projected to exceed those lost to automation.

McKinsey estimates that by 2030, AI could contribute to creating 20 million to 50 million new jobs worldwide.

These roles, as outlined by Forbes, include:

  • AI specialists and developers

  • Data scientists and analysts with domain expertise

  • User experience and human-computer interaction specialists

  • Creative professionals collaborating with AI tools

  • AI ethics officers

  • Data privacy specialists

  • AI-assisted healthcare providers

  • AI implementation strategists

These roles have already started to emerge. LinkedIn reports that among the jobs on the rise are AI engineer and AI consultant. 

Job opportunities for Prompt Engineers, for example, offer up to $300K per year. 

While certain jobs are at risk of being automated, AI also drives new opportunities and enhances new skill sets.

Conclusion

The adoption of AI is more nuanced than the dramatic picture of a robot instantly replacing a human being and rendering jobs obsolete.

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the incidence of dramatic job declines due to automation is significantly smaller than commonly cited figures like the 47% potential job losses in some studies.

The same report states that while specific occupations have seen significant declines, this trend has not generalized across the broader workforce, even with the advent of robotics and AI.

Instead, the current trend emphasizes collaboration between humans and machines, leveraging AI to accelerate tasks and allowing humans to focus on more value-adding activities.

Moreover, there is a growing demand for workers to train AI, highlighting the collaborative relationship between humans and machines.

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