Microsoft’s List Of 40 AI-Crossing Jobs Has People Guessing: Which Jobs Are AI-Safe?

Translators, sales reps, historians, passenger attendants, and writers and authors took the top five spots of jobs at risk of being replaced with AI.

Data from Microsoft’s viral list of jobs that have a high probability of crossover with artificial intelligence (AI) has people wondering which professions are in the safe zone, Forbes reports.

The 40 jobs on the “most at risk” list include translators, sales reps, historians, passenger attendants, and writers and authors taking the top five spots. As the list has begun to circulate throughout social media, employees are beginning to wonder which professions are safe from the growing influence of AI.

Data from the tech conglomerate label AI-safe jobs as the professions being least likely to be replaced or pivoting into a more generative AI role.

Safe jobs typically require the physical presence of a human, manual labor, and interaction, in addition to particular skillsets that AI tools can’t replicate effectively. Microsoft came up with the data by adapting an “AI applicability score” for each occupation by using AI, of course. The platform matched user conversations with the Copilot program to align measures of task success and scope of automation.

A majority of jobs at risk include those involving knowledge work, like anything with computers, and office administrative work, which is one of the reasons sales jobs are so high on the list, as they consist of sharing and explaining information.

There are some jobs that are highly unlikely to be touched, according to Forbes, including dredge operators, bridge and lock tenders, dishwashers, housekeepers, and water treatment plant and system operators, thanks to their hands-on equipment requirements.

But some industry experts feel differently, saying that eventually, all jobs will fall victim to AI.

“Every job will be affected, and immediately. It is unquestionable,” AI computing company Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said at the Milken Institute’s Global Conference in May. “You’re not going to lose your job to an AI, but you’re going to lose your job to someone who uses AI.”

His theory may be supported by some of Microsoft’s data, which found that as AI won’t automatically terminate roles, some employers have placed a pause on hiring and have eliminated roles in an effort to enhance productivity. And for those that feel a degree may be your way in to compete with AI, think again.

Researchers said, “In terms of education requirements, we find higher AI applicability for occupations requiring a bachelor’s degree than occupations with lower requirements.”

However, one of Microsoft’s top researchers says the point of the study was to showcase where AI has a major effect on how work is getting done—not to scare people into thinking their jobs are being taken away or replaced.

“Our research shows that AI supports many tasks, particularly those involving research, writing, and communication, but does not indicate that it can fully perform any single occupation. As AI adoption accelerates, it’s important that we continue to study and better understand its societal and economic impact,” she said.