AI Shock: Anthropic Identifies Jobs Most at Risk of Disappearance
A new report from the AI company Anthropic, the creator of the AI system Claude, reveals that artificial intelligence is rapidly entering the labor market, with some professions already experiencing significant automation while many other professions are still far from the full impact of AI.
The study, titled "The Labor Market Effects of Artificial Intelligence: A New Measure and Early Evidence," compares the theoretical capabilities of artificial intelligence with how it is actually used in real workplaces. The researchers introduced a new concept called "observed exposure," which measures the tasks that are currently being automated, rather than the tasks that AI could perform in the future.
According to the report, the professions with the highest theoretical coverage of artificial intelligence include computer and mathematics jobs, as well as business and finance roles, both reaching 94.3% of the theoretical capacity for artificial intelligence. Other heavily exposed sectors include management (91.3%), office and administrative support (90%), legal professions (89%), engineering and architecture (84.8%), and arts and media (83.7%).
However, the study indicates that the adoption of artificial intelligence in the real world is still far below its theoretical potential. Tasks such as physical agricultural work, operating agricultural machinery, or representing clients in court remain challenging for AI, leaving large parts of many professions unaffected so far.
Some industries show very limited potential for artificial intelligence. Jobs in land maintenance (3.9%), transportation (12.1%), agriculture (15.7%), food services (16.9%), and construction (16.9%) have the least theoretical exposure. These sectors rely heavily on physical tasks that current AI technology cannot easily replace.
When looking at real-world usage, professions in computer science and mathematics show the highest exposure to artificial intelligence at 35.8%, followed by office and administrative jobs at 34.3%. Roles in business and finance (28.4%), sales (26.9%), legal professions (20.4%), arts and media (19.2%), and education and library jobs (18.2%) also show significant levels of AI adoption.
Among individual professions, it seems that computer programmers are the most exposed, with their exposure to artificial intelligence observed at 74.5%. Customer service representatives (70.1%), data entry clerks (67.1%), and medical records specialists (66.7%) also rank among the roles most susceptible to automation.
Interestingly, workers most exposed to artificial intelligence tend to be older, highly educated, earn higher wages, and are more likely to be women. Despite the increased use of AI since late 2022, the report found no clear increase in unemployment among these professions, although hiring younger workers in some of these sectors seems to be slowing down.