A recent employment outlook report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has highlighted the potential impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on highly skilled professions. While the full extent of AI’s effect on employment is still uncertain, the report suggests that occupations requiring significant training or tertiary education are most exposed to AI.
According to the report, AI tools have made notable progress in areas involving non-routine cognitive tasks such as information ordering, memorization, and perceptual speed. These are qualities commonly found in high-skill, white-collar jobs. Business professionals, managers, chief executives, and science and engineering professionals are identified as the occupations most exposed to AI capabilities. On the other hand, jobs such as food preparation assistants, agriculture, forestry, and fishery laborers, cleaners, and helpers are considered the least affected by AI.
AI on labor markets
The report also delves into the impact of AI on labor markets. It acknowledges the rapid progress made in the field, making it challenging to distinguish between outputs generated by AI and those produced by humans. The overall impact of AI on employment is described as ambiguous since it can displace certain jobs while simultaneously stimulating labor demand through increased productivity. Furthermore, AI has the potential to create new tasks and, consequently, new jobs.
The OECD emphasizes that although AI will replace labor in specific occupations, it will also generate new job opportunities where human labor retains a competitive advantage. Notably, the report highlights a lack of significant negative employment effects caused by AI advances. In fact, high-skill workers have experienced employment gains over the past decade compared to low-skilled workers, according to the cited data.
The report acknowledges that its findings on the impact at specific job levels were assessed prior to the emergence of large language models like ChatGPT. It suggests that the development of generative AI, such as ChatGPT, could further expand the range of tasks and jobs that can be automated.
