Opinion: Here are the jobs AI will impact most

“AI is coming for your job.”

That’s just one variation of the many headlines you’ve probably seen ever since ChatGPT exploded in popularity and won the world’s attention late last year. But is it true?

Back in April, Dropbox announced it was cutting 500 employees. In May, outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas let go of almost 4,000 people. And in July, the founder of an e-commerce startup said he laid off 90% of his support team. The common reason cited? You guessed it: artificial intelligence.

Goldman Sachs economists have estimated that 300 million full-time jobs across the globe could be automated in some way by the newest wave of AI, with up to a quarter of all jobs being completely done by AI.

Indeed, large language models like ChatGPT have demonstrated a pretty remarkable ability to write code, offer detailed instructions for different tasks, pass a law school bar exam, and even express empathy when answering medical questions. And while this technology has the potential to cause widespread disruption, the effects may not be felt evenly across the workforce, with white-collar workers likely to be more affected than manual laborers.

AI isn’t always better, faster or cheaper, though. In fact, current iterations are prone to making mistakes and spitting out false information. News outlet CNET had to issue several corrections after it used an AI tool to help write stories. And some workers, including members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers union, have said that their workload actually increased since their companies implemented new AI tools.

In some industries, experts have suggested a future in which AI can assist humans rather than replace them entirely. In others, artificial intelligence may have little to no impact at all.

To get a better sense of the effect AI might have on different industries across the labor market, we reached out to experts in medicine, law, art, retail, film, tech, education and agriculture, to address 1) How will AI change the nature of work? and 2) How will AI change the labor force in this specific industry?

Read on to see what they had to say. The views expressed in this commentary are their own.

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