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The learning business, Pearson, has conducted a new workplace study that hints that Generative AI(GenAI) would impact certain white-collar jobs more than blue-collar ones over the coming 10 years.
The Pearson Skills Outlook series' third edition, "Gen AI-proof jobs," which was only made available to ET, examines how artificial intelligence is affecting over 5,000 jobs across five nations: the US, the UK, Australia, India, and Brazil.
In India, general artificial intelligence could be used to handle jobs that take up to 30% of a white-collar worker's workweek. As the report , in some cases, this may implement less than 1% of a blue-collar worker's workload within any given week of work.
On average, the most-impacted white-collar and blue-collar jobs have different task-level impacts of about 29%. Although all the least impacted white-collar jobs had at least 10% of their jobs impacted at the task level, none of the five blue-collar jobs least impacted by Generative AI were affected.
The report suggests that the nature of tasks performed by each role of AI may be related to the difference in impact between white-collar and blue-collar roles. Repeated actions in many administrative professions, such as making appointments and taking and directing calls, are easily replicable by artificial intelligence.
The most affected white-collar jobs in India are : accounting and bookkeeping clerks (46%), word processors and related operators (40%), administrative secretaries and related associate professionals (38%), stall and market salespersons (30%), and accountants (28%), according to the percentage of time spent on tasks that can be automated or enhanced by Generative AI.
According to the study, the blue-collar occupations most affected in India include weavers, knitters, and associated occupations, with a 17 percent likelihood; basketry weavers, brush makers, and related occupations, also with a probability of 17 percent; operators of weaving and knitting machine Navy, with a 16 percent chance; servers and bartenders with a 15 percent probability; and bakers, pastry cooks, and confectionary makers also at 15 percent risk.
"Knowing which jobs are vulnerable to AI helps workers get ready as they look to the future. Additionally, they want to think about potential areas where GenAI can create new positions, according to Pearson Workforce Skills President Mike Howells. Employers and employees alike should consider how to best leverage human and artificial intelligence to ride this tsunami of change.
Whether that means applying technology to automate monotonous jobs so people can concentrate on worthwhile pursuits, or developing those aptitudes that are specific to humans, such as creativity, leadership, and communication.
For this Skills Outlook research report, Pearson analyzed the individual tasks associated with over 5,000 jobs and the current amount of time spent on each work using Gen AI-based techniques.
It was calculated how much of a job's workload—measured by the amount of time spent on each task—would be impacted by artificial intelligence. This indicates the percentage of time saving tool by Gen AI by 2032 for each task, allowing one to determine which jobs will be most or least affected.
As per Pearson’s report, it is revealed that white color jobs in India are much more vulnerable to be replaced by AI in future in comparison to the blue color collar jobs, which could possibly encompass up to 30% of white color formal work, within a decade or so, in contrast to the negligible percentage of the blue collar jobs.
Obviously, the ones that more obviously lend themselves are secretarial work, bookkeeping, sales, and administrative work, which are accounted for. Equally surprising is that some blue-collar craft jobs, like weaving, might also be partly automated.
This also mirrors the necessity to develop skills in communication, leadership, and critical thinking among workers situated in job threat. It would, therefore, advise businesses to take full advantage of AI's potentiality in automating routine tasks so that their employee workforce could conduct more valuable activities. Orientation becomes necessary for both employees and employers in this AI-driven workforce shift.
