Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer just helping with small office tasks – it’s changing how entire industries function. Recent reports suggest that up to 40 per cent of global jobs could be affected by AI in the next five years. While some roles may evolve, others might disappear completely. Alarmingly, jobs mostly held by women may be more at risk. Still, experts believe this transformation may also create new opportunities.

AI Set to Reshape Industries

According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), AI adoption is moving fast. McKinsey & Company adds that automation could cause widespread job shifts depending on how quickly industries implement AI tools.

AI May Replace These 8 Jobs

1. Human Resources (HR):

AI is already reshaping how companies hire. From filtering CVs to analysing candidate data, much of the manual HR work is now automated. IBM even admitted to replacing some of its HR staff with AI to streamline operations.

2. Drivers and Delivery Workers:

Autonomous driving technology is advancing rapidly. While India is yet to have the infrastructure and policies in support, with ministers like Nitin Gadkari against driverless vehicles because of job issues, transport automation is a worldwide trend.

3. Entry-Level Coders:

Even tech jobs are not spared. With the rise of no-code and low-code platforms, Google and OpenAI are utilising AI to automate simple coding, eliminating the need for large teams of developers.

4. Cybersecurity Analysts:

Ironically, AI is being applied to cyber defence as well as cyberattacks. Hackers may use AI to create quicker and more sophisticated attacks, eliminating the need for manual intervention.

5. Sales Representatives:

AI chatbots and software such as Klarna's AI assistant completed 2.3 million customer conversations in 2024 – two-thirds of its customer care work – replacing the work of almost 700 people.

6. Retail and Restaurant Employees:

From robot waiters in big cities such as Kolkata and Lucknow to self-service checkouts at McDonald's and Decathlon, customer service is already being transformed by automation.

7. Office Writers:

Day-to-day writing jobs, such as emails and reports, are now being taken care of by AI. CEOs from Zoom and Klarna at recent company earnings calls even appeared as AI avatars.

8. Marketing Professionals:

Social media posts, ad production, and customer data analysis – previously done by complete teams – are now being carried out by AI tools in record time.

Silver Lining: New Jobs Ahead

Although the list appears daunting, experts believe that AI will also generate jobs we are unable to contemplate as of now. According to a Goldman Sachs report, even though most tasks can be automated, most jobs will still require human judgment. Research shows that 60 per cent of today’s jobs didn’t exist in the 1940s.
AI is not killing jobs – it’s transforming them. Instead of replacing people entirely, the future may see humans and machines working together more efficiently than ever before.