Photo by Igor Omilaev, Unsplash.

I don’t think AI will simply split the world into “jobs that survive” and “jobs that disappear.” In many cases, it will first automate specific tasks, then gradually reduce the number of people needed for certain positions. At the same time, it will increase the demand for completely different types of work.

The kinds of jobs that I think are very susceptible to automation are data entry clerks, basic customer support agents, transcriptionists, routine translators, junior content writers, basic copywriters, administrative assistants who focus on repetitive tasks, simple bookkeeping positions, document-processing workers, basic graphic production jobs, and certain entry-level research and reporting posts.

It does not follow that everyone holding these job titles will therefore become unemployed. What it does mean is that the repetitive and predictable aspects of these jobs are becoming ever more amenable to automation.

On the contrary, there will be a great demand for AI engineers, machine learning engineers, robotics engineers, data engineers, cybersecurity engineers, cloud engineers, network engineers, hardware engineers, semiconductor engineers, electrical engineers, power systems engineers, mechanical engineers who are specialized in thermal management and cooling, data center engineers, automation engineers, mechatronics engineers, AI infrastructure engineers, and technicians capable of installing, operating, maintaining, and troubleshooting ever more complex physical systems.

I likewise believe that roles combining deep knowledge of a particular field with an understanding of AI will become more valuable; for example, a lawyer who understands AI, an engineer who can automate part of their work, a doctor who knows how to work with intelligent systems, or an operations expert who has a grasp of automation might gain a considerable advantage over someone who ignores these tools.

In my view, the key difference is not between technical and non-technical jobs. Rather, it lies in the distinction between work that is repetitive, predictable, and easy to digitize and work that demands judgment, responsibility, direct physical interaction, complex problem-solving, or the ability to build and run the systems that underlie AI.

AI will cause some jobs to disappear, alter many others, and create demand for abilities that were not very valuable just a few years ago.

The safest approach might be to avoid jobs AI can never do; instead, aim to become skilled at creating value using the technologies reshaping the job market.

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