A novel research by Microsoft sheds light on the impact of AI on different professions, based on real conversations with Bing Copilot users in 2024. The study evaluates the susceptibility of various jobs to generative AI by mapping conversations to work activities using the U.S. government’s job classification system.
While knowledge-intensive and communication-centric roles are at a higher risk of AI disruption, jobs that involve physical labor, manual tasks, or machine operation are deemed less vulnerable. The study provides a unique perspective by analyzing actual AI usage from Copilot interactions rather than relying on conjectures.
The study’s findings underscore that AI capability overlap with work activities doesn’t necessarily equate to job displacement. Historical precedents show that automation can sometimes lead to increased employment in impacted sectors, as industries adapt to technological advancements.
- “We measured how AI capabilities overlap with work activities, but it remains to be seen how different occupations refactor their work responsibilities in response to AI’s rapid progress,” they wrote in the study. “It could be that jobs change which activities they encompass, as in the case of bank tellers and ATMs. In addition, entirely new occupations may emerge due to the rise of AI, performing new types of work activities.”
Here is a breakdown of the top 25 occupations most and least impacted by AI, based on the AI applicability score in the study.
Most impacted:
- Interpreters and Translators
- Historians
- Passenger Attendants
- Sales Representatives (Services)
- Writers and Authors
- Customer Service Representatives
- CNC Tool Programmers
- Telephone Operators
- Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks
- Broadcast Announcers and Radio DJs
- Brokerage Clerks
- Farm and Home Management Educators
- Telemarketers
- Concierges
- Political Scientists
- News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists
- Mathematicians
- Technical Writers
- Proofreaders and Copy Markers
- Hosts and Hostesses
- Editors
- Business Teachers, Postsecondary
- Public Relations Specialists
- Demonstrators and Product Promoters
- Advertising Sales Agents
Least impacted:
- Dredge Operators
- Bridge and Lock Tenders
- Water Treatment Plant and System Operators
- Foundry Mold and Coremakers
- Pile Driver Operators
- Floor Sanders and Finishers
- Orderlies
- Motorboat Operators
- Logging Equipment Operators
- Rail-Track Maintenance Equipment Operators
- Roustabouts, Oil and Gas
- Roofers
- Gas Compressor and Pumping Station Operators
- Helpers–Roofers
- Tire Builders
- Surgical Assistants
- Massage Therapists
- Ophthalmic Medical Technicians
- Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators
- Supervisors of Firefighters
- Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers
- Dishwashers
- Machine Feeders and Offbearers
- Packaging and Filling Machine Operators
- Medical Equipment Preparers
