The highly-skilled jobs being replaced by AI

Tom Haynes
Mon, July 24, 2023

AI

Workers in the technology sector are already feeling the impact of the dawn of the age of artificial intelligence, with half as many job vacancies as there were last year in some roles, new figures have revealed.

Analysis from job site Adzuna found a significant drop in the number of jobs on offer for more than a dozen careers previously identified as being “most exposed” to AI.

Vacancies for several professions had plummeted by as much as 50pc since 2022, the website found.

Adzuna’s data showed there were 691 listed vacancies in July for graphic designers, compared to 1,641 last year – a drop of 58pc.

Software engineering roles also plummeted by 57pc, from 20,193 vacancies to 8,644.

While a stagnant economy and persistently high inflation are likely to be making employers reticent about hiring, the impact of AI technology such as ChatGPT and Google’s Bard, is also likely to be having an impact, Adzuna said.

Tech workers were a notable casualty of the AI revolution, it said. Roles in data management, IT support analysts and web designers fell by more than a third.

The website identified dozens of jobs which were judged to be the most exposed to AI replacement, using studies published by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the University of Pennsylvania, and Goldman Sachs.

AI’s takeover of the workplace has caused disquiet among unions, who have called on the Government to regulate the nascent technology.

Less than half of those surveyed by tech union Prospect said they were confident their employer would consult them about introducing the technology at work.

Andrew Pakes, Prospect’s deputy general secretary, said: “Advances in technology have the potential to bring huge benefits to both employers and workers.

“But there needs to be proper consultation with workers about what is being introduced and how before anything is implemented.”

Now read: The careers that will survive the AI revolution – and pay the highest salary

Britons are increasingly nervous about using AI relative to other countries, according to a report by pollster Ipsos.

Only 12pc of those surveyed by the company said they believed AI would create more job opportunities than jobs that are lost – and just under half (46pc) said businesses should embrace the technology in the workplace.

Customer service jobs are expected to vanish as roles become more automated, the report found.

Roughly four in 10 said they did not expect AI to impact their job in the next year, but the figure fell to one in four when looking five years from now.

Andrew Hunter, of Adzuna, said: “Skilled, white-collar workers whose jobs rely on their wealth of knowledge may be particularly at risk from AI, with the technology increasingly able to emulate responses and outputs.

“Job vacancies have fallen across the board year-on-year, but some jobs have seen larger declines that may in part be due to the increasing adoption of AI.”

However, Mr Hunter said AI “will also create new job opportunities for roles like prompt engineers as companies clamour to make the most of advancements.”

It comes as research by nonprofit employment network Generation found the entry-level tech job had “disappeared”.

The report found 94pc of employers in over 16 industries said they required prior work experience, with two-thirds of companies demanding at least a year of work experience.