GENEVA (Reuters) – According to a U.N. study released on Monday, generative AI is not expected to completely replace most people’s jobs but rather automate some of their tasks, allowing them to focus on other responsibilities.
However, the study also warned that clerical work, which has a high representation of female employees, particularly in wealthier countries, is likely to be the most affected sector, potentially impacting female employment.
The development and adoption of generative AI, along with its chatbot applications, has raised concerns about job displacement, similar to the concerns that arose during the introduction of the moving assembly line in the early 1900s and mainframe computers in the 1950s.
However, the International Labour Organization’s study concludes that most jobs and industries will only be partially exposed to automation and are more likely to be enhanced by AI rather than substituted.
Therefore, the study suggests that the primary impact of generative AI will be to augment work, meaning that it will help workers in their tasks.
According to the study, the occupation that is expected to be most affected by generative AI, which has the ability to generate text, images, sounds, animation, 3D models, and other data, is clerical work. Around a quarter of tasks in this field are highly exposed to potential automation. On the other hand, professions such as managers and sales workers are only minimally affected.
Despite this, the U.N. report urged policymakers to pay attention to the potentially brutal impact that generative AI could have on affected workers. It stressed the need for policy measures to address the technological changes.
“Therefore, for policymakers, our study should not read as a calming voice, but rather as a call for harnessing policy to address the technological changes that are upon us,” the study said.
Reporting by Emma Farge; Editing by Alison Williams
Credit: The Star : Tech Feed
