These 7 Jobs That Will Be Gone Because of AI Will Shock You
Written by
Dawn Allcot
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Artificial intelligence and Large Language Models like OpenAI’s ChatGPT offer new ways to make money from home. But AI is also threatening some jobs to the point where they may not exist within a few decades.
Anywhere from 0% to 30% of work could be displaced by automation, according to a recent McKinsey study. The same study revealed that roughly 50% of all work activities are “technically automatable” by adapting existing technologies, and 60% of all occupations have more than 30% of activities that can be automated.
That doesn’t mean millions of careers will be phased out in favor of AI, though, or that job opportunities, as a whole, will decrease. Rather, new opportunities will appear in fields that are more difficult to automate. They may require learning new skill sets, however.
For instance, the McKinsey study showed that jobs for artists, designers, entertainers and media will increase by 8% in the U.S. Demand for technology professionals will grow by 34% by 2030, although the tasks performed may be different than the job duties we see today.
On the other hand, office support staff such as administrative assistants are already starting to be replaced by specialized AI apps and platforms, with job opportunities shrinking by 20% through 2030.
Whether you’re just graduating college and contemplating your career path, or thinking about a mid-life career change, here are seven jobs that may not be around by the next decade.
Meter Readers
As of 2022, roughly 72% of electric meters installed were smart meters, capable of tracking a business or household’s energy use and reporting it to the electric provider automatically. These devices, also called advanced metering infrastructure (AMI), can send real-time data that also allows consumers to be more conscious of their energy use.
AI algorithms can help provide recommendations to reduce energy use, and even detect discrepancies in electric use that could indicate a problem. As older meters are phased out, meter readers won’t have to trudge through suburban neighborhoods collecting energy use data.
Parking Enforcement
Similarly, smart digital parking meters will phase out parking enforcement professionals — the people who ticket illegally parked vehicles. Phasing out human parking enforcers will free up room in the budgets of cities and municipalities, which can be used for community improvement projects, electric vehicle charging installations, and other necessary costs.
Data Entry Professionals
Multiple AI tools already exist that can automate the tedious task of data entry. Businesses are hard-pressed to match the accuracy, enhanced productivity, and lower costs of using AI for data entry. Professionals in this field should consider updating their skills.
ChatGPT creates many other types of work-from-home opportunities former data entry professionals might enjoy. It’s also possible that AI won’t entirely erase the human element from data entry, but that professionals will act as AI trainers while overseeing quality control, which could be a higher paying position.
Legal Secretaries, Paralegals & Legal Assistants
As with data entry work, specialized AI programs can take over many of the tasks in a law firm. The job of legal secretary may very well disappear along with other office jobs in the next decade, according to CareerAddict.com.
However, after a New York law firm was fined $5,000 for submitting “fictitious legal research in an aviation injury claim,” according to APNews.com, lawyers may be more cautious than other industries about implementing AI in the absence of human oversight.
As with data entry positions, it’s likely many legal roles will evolve and change, with human experts working with AI tools to streamline their jobs.
Fast-Food Workers
Many fast-food cashiers have already been replaced by kiosks where customers can place their own orders, or mobile apps that make it easy to place an order, pay, and pick up the food with no human interaction. The next iteration of ordering tools is likely to be even smarter, recommending products based on a customer’s past preferences, sales, and the time of day.
But it’s not just fast-food cashiers who could soon be completely replaced. Robot chefs like Mis Robotics’ Flippy 2, which can be seen in action at some White Castle locations. Directed by cameras and AI, according to an article in the Independent UK, Flippy 2 can handle some of the cooking at a fast-food restaurant.
Taxi Drivers
Taxi drivers in major cities like New York and Boston already face stiff competition from ride-share services like Uber and Lyft. As self-driving cars become more advanced, many careers requiring human drivers, including taxi drivers, could be phased out by AI technology.
Phoenix, San Francisco and Austin have already rolled out driverless robotaxi programs, but not without controversy according to an article at Axios. Even so, human drivers may want to keep their eyes open for new career opportunities within the next decade.
Telemarketers
People interrupted during dinner or their workday by solicitors may not be sad to see telemarketers looking for a new line of work. However, the alternative may not be any better for consumers on the receiving end of sales calls. Several companies are already using AI to make sales calls and consumers can’t tell that the voice on the other end of the line is not human, according to CareerAddict.com.
At some point in the sales process, presumably, human intervention will be needed to seal the deal. But AI can help with virtually every phase of the sales process, transforming sales and marketing strategies in the next decade.
What’s The Future of Your Career?
Even as many careers will be phased out by technology, new ones will take their place. After all, jobs like video store clerks, elevator operators and Netflix delivery people are no longer around because technology has evolved.
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