It’s undeniable that AI-powered technology is picking up steam in many sectors of the economy — although that’s not exactly music to everyone’s ears.
According to a recent Pew Research Center survey, 56% of AI experts believe the emerging technology will have a positive impact on the U.S. within the next 20 years. In contrast, just 17% of U.S. adults share that view.
Of the AI experts surveyed, 73% believe AI will have a positive impact on how people do their jobs. However, just 23% of Americans think AI will impact how they do their jobs in a positive way.
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While it’s clear that not everyone is excited about how AI might affect the economic landscape, it does seem likely that AI will lead to significant changes in some fields. But, the survey also highlighted that both AI experts and U.S. adults agree that some jobs, like mental health therapy, might not be impacted.
The study took opinions from 1,013 AI experts, who work with (or research) AI professionally, into account.
Additionally, a separate survey gauged the opinions of 5,410 U.S. adults. Below is a look at the jobs at risk of disappearing in the decades to come.
Cashiers
For many, the idea that cashiers might be on their way out due to AI likely doesn’t come as a surprise. After all, most of us have encountered a self-checkout situation that didn’t involve a paid employee ringing up our items.
In this arena, both AI experts and U.S. adults agree that cashiers are most at risk, with 73% of both groups saying this job will be impacted.
Since this job is already endangered, signs of this vanishing job are everywhere. For example, Taco Bell has eliminated the task of taking orders for employees at most locations through AI technology. Additionally, Amazon has been rolling out cashier-less stores.
Journalists
According to the study, 60% of AI experts and 59% of the public consider journalist jobs at risk.
The journalism industry has undergone significant changes in recent years. In fact, according to the Brookings Institution, the U.S. has already lost two-thirds of its newspaper journalist jobs in the last 20 years.
And with generative AI improving by the minute, many seem to think that the job title of journalist may become a thing of the past entirely in the not-too-distant future.
Software engineers
Software engineers currently enjoy a lucrative position, a median pay of $130,160 per year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
However, the Pew Research Center study found that 50% of AI experts think the software engineering field is at risk due to AI.
However, it’s worth noting that the other half of AI experts surveyed didn’t think software engineer jobs were at risk. Since the experts seem to be split on this job, only time will tell how it plays out.
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Factory workers
More than half (60%) of AI experts think that the jobs of factory workers are at risk due to the emerging technology.
For many, this line of thought makes sense. After all, as AI technology improves, it might be able to handle some of the repetitive tasks that factory workers face on a regular basis. With that, 67% of the public agrees that these jobs are at risk.
As AI improves the efficiency of factory operations, humans in charge of fine-tuning the mechanics might still prove vital to an organization.
Truck drivers
Of the AI experts surveyed, 62% think that truck driving jobs are at risk. That’s a sharp difference from the public, of which only 33% thought that truck drivers would be impacted by this emerging technology.
As driverless vehicle technology improves, largely spurred on by AI, it’s possible that trucks will no longer need a driver to make deliveries. Self-driving trucks already exist, they just haven’t been approved for regular road use yet. But some companies, like Pittsburgh-based Aurora Innovation, hope to have thousands of self-driving trucks on the roads within the next three to four years, reports The Associated Press.
Although AI will have an impact on jobs in the future, remember that experts are overwhelmingly in agreement that AI technology will have a positive impact on the U.S. in the next several decades. But, only time will tell how this new technology plays out.
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This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
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