Artificial intelligence (AI) has a very real prospect of eliminating around 27% of existing job positions currently occupied by human employees.
Artificial intelligence is likely to significantly impact over a quarter of currently existing job positions. Image credit: Ümit Yıldırım via Unsplash, free license
According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), over a quarter of all jobs within 38 member countries rely on skills that could be easily automated in the upcoming artificial intelligence (AI) revolution.
The OECD further stated that workers are concerned about the possibility of losing their jobs to AI. Although there is currently limited evidence of AI significantly impacting jobs, this may be due to the early stages of the revolution.
The 2023 Employment Outlook report from the Paris-based organization revealed that jobs with the highest risk of automation account for an average of 27% of the labor force across OECD countries, with eastern European nations being the most vulnerable. These high-risk jobs were defined as those requiring more than 25 out of 100 skills and abilities that artificial intelligence experts consider easily automatable.
A robotic assembly line in a car factory. Image credit: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles via Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
While 27% is the average indicator, in some countries up to nearly 37% jobs can be significantly impacted by artificial intelligence solutions in near future.
A survey conducted by the OECD in the previous year found that three out of five workers expressed fear of losing their jobs to AI within the next decade. The survey involved 5,300 workers from 2,000 firms in manufacturing and finance sectors across seven OECD countries. At the time of this earlier survey, generative AI systems like ChatGPT did not exist on the market yet.
Despite concerns about the impact of AI, two-thirds of workers who are already working with AI reported that automation had made their jobs less dangerous or monotonous.
Manufacturing – illustrative photo. Image credit: ThisisEngineering RAEng via Unsplash, free license
OECD Secretary General Mathias Cormann emphasized the significance of policy actions in determining how AI will ultimately affect workers. He stressed the need for governments to assist workers in preparing for these changes and capitalizing on the opportunities presented by AI.
The OECD highlighted that measures such as minimum wages and collective bargaining could alleviate the wage pressures posed by AI, while governments and regulators must safeguard workers’ rights to ensure they are not compromised.
Written by Alius Noreika
