AI "revolution" endangers millions of jobs

A report from the OECD says that AI could replace more than 25% of workers.

In a study released this week, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) said that the "revolution" in artificial intelligence (AI) could threaten more than a quarter of jobs in its 38 member countries.

In OECD countries, 27% of jobs could be taken over by AI. Eastern European states are most likely to be affected by automation, the Paris-based group said in its 2023 Employment Outlook.

The OECD comprises 38 countries, primarily wealthy but some with new economies, like Mexico and Estonia.

Even though there aren't many signs that AI will cause significant changes in the job market, the OECD says that many jobs are already at risk because the "revolution" is just starting.

The 100 skills and abilities that AI could replace were used in more than 25 positions that technology could take over.

Reuters quoted OECD Secretary General Mathias Cormann as saying, "How AI will affect workers in the workplace in the long run and whether the benefits will outweigh the risks will depend on the policy steps we take."

"Governments must help workers prepare for the changes and take advantage of the chances AI will create," he said.

Goldman Sachs said back in March that creative AI like ChatGPT could take up to 300 million full-time jobs worldwide. The investment bank said that the technology, which can make new materials independently, is "a major step forward that could have big effects on the economy as a whole."

Goldman Sachs says that about two-thirds of jobs in the US and Europe are vulnerable to "some degree of AI automation" and that generative AI could replace a quarter of present employment.