The Tasks AI Can Do—and Shouldn’t
The following contribution is from two business school professors who pose four questions companies should ask themselves about automation.
The Authors
Laurence Ales is senior associate dean for education and professor of economics at Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business.
Christophe Combemale is a research assistant professor of engineering and public policy at Carnegie Mellon and CEO of Valdos Consulting.
Generative AI is a transformative technology with the potential to redefine the nature of work. Understanding its role in the workplace and how it differs from previous automation requires a shift from what AI can do to what it should do.
Typical analyses of GenAI’s impact on workers focus on whether the technology can perform specific tasks.
Such studies typically break down a job and assess the proportion of tasks the technology can perform.
For example, the typical duties of a customer service representative in a call center include interacting with customers, logging interactions, and resolving or escalating concerns.
GenAI can handle these tasks, implying it could displace these workers.
But consider a job that might initially seem equivalent: an emergency services telephone operator.
Both positions share many similar tasks. Should we expect them to face the same levels of automation risk?
The answer is more nuanced than mere technical ability.
Beyond ethical considerations, automating these functions presents complex trade-offs involving economics, task design, and operational interdependence.
We believe organizations should consider four fundamental questions when considering automation.
First, how complex is the task?
Complexity is a key factor in both the cost of human labor and AI.
Emergency service operators solve a wide variety of problems, with a level of complexity that exceeds the repetitive interactions of a customer service representative. In general, the more complex the task, the less likely it is to be automated, as humans, for now, are better than machines at handling greater complexity.
Second, how frequent is the task?
The higher the frequency, the greater the likelihood it will be automated. Machines have a clear advantage in maintaining speed over extended periods.
Frequent interactions with customers strengthen the economic case for replacing customer service representatives with AI.
Third, how interconnected are the tasks?
When providing a service or creating a product, many jobs are involved in a chain of interconnected tasks, often performed by different workers and machines.
What happens during the handoff between tasks is often overlooked. Fragmentation costs arise from inefficiencies and errors in the handoff process.
A customer service representative’s initial task is to converse with the customer, while the final task is to resolve their problem. When different workers or machines are involved, handing off these tasks can be costly.
If the worker tasked with final resolution did not interact with the customer initially, additional time would be required to review all the previously collected information.
High fragmentation costs should discourage companies from splitting tasks between humans and generative AI, even if it is technically feasible.
Automating the initial triage call in emergency services may seem cost-effective, but crucial information could be lost during the transition from AI to a human operator.
Fourth, when executing a task, what is the cost of failure?
Errors by emergency operators pose significant risks, especially in life-or-death situations.
Furthermore, generative AI can be less accurate than some previous forms of automation.
AI is transforming the world of work; are we ready?
These questions should guide companies considering automation and help explain why generative AI affects certain occupations more than others.
Consider, for example, computer programmers. Extensive and well-documented coding examples allow GenAI to offer effective solutions even for complex tasks.
The high frequency and repetitiveness of many coding tasks are a perfect fit for GenAI.
Long before GenAI, programmers divided up large coding projects, and innovations such as distributed development platforms and modular design have reduced the costs of fragmentation.
Secure testing environments keep the cost of failure low, as many bugs in the code produced by GenAI can be detected at low cost.
In our framework, these characteristics help explain why programmers, traditionally the beneficiaries of automation, face greater disruption due to GenAI.
The four questions above highlight what makes generative AI unique as an automation technology.
As it evolves, GenAI demonstrates its ability to handle complex tasks at high speed, making it more versatile than traditional automation.
By offering a fluid interface and natural language processing capabilities, GenAI progressively reduces chunking costs compared to traditional automation.
However, uncertainty surrounding GenAI’s outputs potentially increases the risk of failure on a task.
Generative AI is a transformative technology with the potential to transform labor markets.
Its ultimate impact and likelihood of adoption depend on the task structure within a specific occupation.
Task complexity, task frequency, chunking costs, and the cost of failure all influence the balance between obvious cost savings and hidden costs.
11 Jobs AI Could Replace by 2025 and More Than 15 Secure Jobs
The following contribution is from Forbes and is written by Rachel Wells, a Forbes contributor and freelance writer. She covers topics such as remote and flexible work, freelancing, side hustle opportunities, skill development, and artificial intelligence for Gen Z and millennials. She has appeared in Scripps News, MSN, and Business Insider. Her top articles include «3 Remote Side Hustle Opportunities to Earn $10,000 a Month in 2025,» «3 Remote Jobs You Can Start With No Experience,» and «3 Companies Hiring Remote People and Paying Up to $200,000 in 2025.»
Abstract technology background. Global network marketing. Global business concept.
AI is creating 97 million new jobs.
AI is transforming the world of work at a faster pace than any other known revolution in recent workforce history.
At the beginning of the 20th century, factory automation replaced the roles of thousands of artisans and small factory workers.
At the end of the 20th century, ATMs began to revolutionize the banking sector and temporarily affected the jobs of tellers.
In the early 2000s, the wave of e-commerce and the internet impacted large sections of retail workers and companies like Blockbusters (who remembers that?).
We’re barely past the first quarter of 2025, and Meta has already announced it will cut approximately 5% of its global workforce, or 3,600 employees, with underperformers being the first to go. (And AI didn’t really come into the spotlight until 2022; let’s reflect on that.)
However, as Jason Snyder points out for Forbes, “It’s not about performance, it’s about priorities.
While Meta presented the layoffs as a way to eliminate underperforming employees, many affected workers have pushed back, arguing that the company prioritizes AI-driven efficiency over human labor.”
Snyder continues, “Mark Zuckerberg has openly stated that Meta wants to raise the talent bar and accelerate hiring in AI and machine learning roles immediately after the cuts. The layoffs began on Monday. Hiring for AI-focused roles began on Tuesday.”
Remember also that Meta is not the only company taking this stance. Several other large companies have followed suit, laying off thousands of workers in an attempt to become more efficient and prioritize AI.
Clearly, the workforce is being restructured in another AI industrial revolution.
Data from the World Economic Forum (WEF) shows a positive trade-off.
While it’s true that jobs are being eliminated, a 2020 WEF report, prior to ChatGPT, suggests that despite the 85 million job cuts, 97 million new jobs are expected to emerge, specifically in fields such as data science, AI development and monitoring, and AI and human collaboration roles.
We have seen evidence of the positive results of an industrial revolution throughout history.
With examples from past industrial revolutions, it is true that some jobs have been completely eradicated, but they have been replaced by positions more suited to the times and the wave of new technologies and innovation.
Therefore, it shouldn’t be difficult to imagine that the AI and robotics revolution will have the same results: eliminating jobs and, in turn, creating an entirely new labor market.
11 Jobs Most at Risk of Being Replaced by AI in 2025
Employers have already indicated that implementing artificial intelligence is one of their key business priorities for 2025 and beyond.
Nine in ten say they expect to use AI and generative AI-based solutions over the next five years, and 73% admit to prioritizing the hiring of AI talent.
The question is, as more companies embrace this new era, which jobs are most at risk of disappearing?
This is a crucial question that concerns many American workers, as 52% are concerned about the impact of AI on their jobs, according to a new Pew Research study of more than 5,000 American professionals.
The job board Indeed just released a new list of jobs at risk of automation and defines automated roles as «tasks that machines or software programs can perform without human intervention.
They are typically routine or repetitive actions that require a high degree of accuracy.
They can include simple tasks, such as making phone calls, or complex processes, such as analyzing data or processing transactions.
In industrial settings, automated tasks are often those that humans perceive as undesirable.»
Their list includes:
– Manufacturing jobs (machine operation, product handling, testing, packaging, etc.)
– Retail and commerce roles (customer service, inventory management, fraud analysis)
– Transportation and logistics jobs (human drivers are being replaced by autonomous vehicles, as we’re already seeing with Waymo)
– Entry-level data entry, analysis, and visualization jobs
– Financial analysis and forecasting roles
– Travel agents and itinerary providers
– Translators
– Entry-level tax preparation and accounting positions
Other positions at risk of expiration or in lower demand, not explicitly mentioned on Indeed’s list, include:
– Proofreaders
– Paralegals
– Graphic designers
So, which positions are safe from the threat of automation so you can future-proof your career and plan accordingly? AI Jobs (AI Design)
Well, obviously, the first group of jobs you’d expect to be safe from automation are AI jobs, or positions that enable AI to function properly.
This includes:
– Machine learning engineers
– Software developers
– Data scientists
– Cybersecurity engineers
– AI agent managers
– AI-powered jobs (AI collaboration)
The next group of positions safe from AI are those that work in collaboration with it, not independently or against it, pretending it doesn’t exist or treating it as a threat.
These are positions that require high levels of specialization, a personal touch, or specifically require in-person interaction with a real human.
They also tend to be more creative and require human decision-making or insight.
You’ll be reassured to know that there are many positions that fall into this category, in fields such as education, healthcare, and business/corporate.
For example:
– Registered nurses
– Choreographers
– Paramedics
– Mental health specialists and counselors
– Teachers (primary and secondary school and above), lecturers, instructors, and higher education professors
– Civil engineers
– Surgeons
– Project managers
– Directors and operations managers
– Musicians
– Journalists
To be clear, no one is saying that the jobs mentioned above won’t feel the impact of AI.
Rather, anyone in these positions will need to adapt their work, update their skills and knowledge, and find ways to incorporate AI-based tools and intelligence to help them focus on the more complex aspects of the job.
What’s even more exciting is that, by 2030, 85% of positions will be new jobs in the labor market that we haven’t even heard of yet, according to the World Economic Forum. New jobs will be created (and are in the process of being created even now), so there will be ample scope to apply your skills and experience in collaboration with the new AI-powered workforce. Should I be worried?
There’s no point in ignoring reality or treating AI as an enemy of your career.
In an interview at IBM’s London headquarters for this Forbes article, Justina Nixon-Saintil, a vice president at IBM, emphasized: “Learning no longer stands still. There are new technologies constantly; it’s accelerating at a much faster pace than ever before. Today it’s AI, tomorrow it could be quantum. AI will impact almost every job and affect every industry.”
He concluded: “Whether you work in the service sector, a tech company, or finance, everyone needs training and an understanding of what AI means for their role.”
So no, you shouldn’t worry. Instead, prepare a detailed career action plan to stay ahead of the curve and ensure that every training course you take, every new job offer you accept, or every position you apply for is strategically aligned with your career goals and the ever-evolving needs of the workforce.
Take your time to familiarize yourself with AI, especially considering that employers struggle to find talent with AI skills and would rather hire someone with them than someone without.
If you act as if nothing will happen and wait to be uprooted, then yes, you should be concerned.
The positions with the lowest risk of automation are those driven by humans and require deep problem-solving.
Frequently Asked Questions About AI-Related Job Losses
Which jobs are at risk due to AI?
If your position is highly repetitive or involves tasks that are typically boring and monotonous, probably yes. The more effort and intuition required, the lower your risk.
Which jobs will AI never replace?
Leadership roles, childcare, education, healthcare, technical design such as landscaping and architecture, and positions that require problem-solving and human interaction, as well as positions that enable AI to operate.
What should I do if my job is at risk?
Don’t panic. Create an action plan and focus on three quick actions or steps you can take now to easily adapt.
Learn automation tools and practice them so you’ll be in demand when employers need your talent and improve your skills in forward-looking areas. You should also earn AI-related certifications.
The Jobs AI Can and Can’t Replace (and Why You Shouldn’t Worry)
The following contribution is from the SKILLSOFT portal and is written
