Artificial intelligence: which workers are most at risk – what the ILO study shows – Economics article

Creative AI probably won’t completely replace most people’s jobs, but it will automate some of their tasks, freeing them up to do others, according to a study by the International Labor Organization released Monday.

However, the same study warns that office workers are likely to be hit the hardest, with the hiring of women having greater losses, given the overrepresentation of women in the sector, especially in wealthier countries.

An explosion of interest in creative AI and chatbot applications fueled fears of mass job losses, similar to those seen when the moving assembly line was introduced in the early 20th century and later with the introduction of mainframe production in the 1950s.

appreciation for the industry

But the ILO study concluded: “Most jobs and industries are only partially automated and are therefore likely to be supplemented by AI rather than replaced.”

This means, he adds, that “technology’s most significant impact is probably an increase in productivity.”

The profession most likely to be affected by creative AI — which can generate text, images, sounds, animations, 3D models and other data — is office work, with about a quarter of jobs highly exposed to potential automation, while studying.

But most other professions, such as managers and salespeople, are only marginally at risk, according to the ILO study.

However, there is a direct warning that the impact of creative AI on affected workers could be “brutal”.

“Therefore, for policymakers, our study should not be seen as a voice of peace, but rather as a call to harness policies to address the technological changes ahead,” the ILO concluded.