AI Job Market Shakeup: Future Jobs Will Lean Towards Empathy and Physicality, Not Screens
Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the job market by automating various tasks such as writing, thinking, and creating. While this technology presents exciting possibilities, it also raises concerns about employment for those displaced from these roles.
Olivia Fair, a recent graduate, struggles to secure stable employment. She has held several short-term jobs, including one in TV production that involved transcribing interviews. However, the job market has significantly changed, with AI now handling most of the transcription work, leaving fewer opportunities for human workers.
According to Laura Ullrich, Director of Economic Research at Indeed, the decline in job postings is a trend observed across multiple industries, particularly affecting younger job seekers and recent graduates. However, Ullrich cautions against attributing this solely to the rise of AI, as the downturn began before widespread AI adoption.
Ullrich highlights that while tech jobs have seen a significant drop in postings compared to pre-pandemic levels, other sectors experienced a hiring boom in 2021-22, suggesting an overall uncertain employment landscape. The ongoing economic uncertainties, such as tariffs, taxes, and foreign policy, further complicate the situation.
David Autor, a labor economist at MIT, believes that AI will indeed change the job market but not necessarily lead to widespread unemployment. He emphasizes that while some entry-level positions may become obsolete due to AI automation, there is still a need for human judgment, expertise, and creative thinking in many roles.
When discussing which jobs are most at risk of being automated, Autor points towards those involving screen work, such as coding, accounting, copywriting, translation, customer service, paralegal work, illustration, graphic design, songwriting, and information management. On the other hand, jobs requiring empathy, creative thinking, or physicality, like healthcare, teaching, social assistance, mental health, police and fire services, engineering, construction, wind and solar energy, tourism, and trades (like plumbing and electrical), are less likely to be replaced by AI.
Autor also predicts that the advancement of AI will create new job categories in fields like renewable energy and various medical specialties, although it’s challenging to pinpoint specific roles or skills required.
When asked about the future job landscape, Autor expressed optimism, stating that while certain occupations may disappear, new opportunities will emerge. He believes that advancements in AI could lead to improvements in healthcare, energy production, and agriculture, among other sectors.
For now, the impact of AI on employment remains relatively minimal, with headlines suggesting a slow adoption of the technology in the workforce. In the meantime, Ullrich advises young job seekers to remain proactive by seeking alternative employment opportunities or internships and leveraging their professional networks for support.
Olivia Fair, who aspires to pursue creative and writing-focused roles, believes that her human qualities set her apart from AI. When asked why she would be better suited for these positions, she simply replied, “I am a person, not a robot.”
