There are many different studies on the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on occupations. At Aposto.biz, we follow these perspectives closely and aim to provide a multidimensional outlook for students, families, and professionals.
One of the most recent studies is “Working with AI: Measuring the Occupational Implications of Generative AI” published by Microsoft Research. The study analyzed throughout 2024, 200,000 anonymized conversations on Bing Copilot (formerly Bing Chat) in the U.S. to identify which work activities AI is most frequently involved in and how these might affect occupations.
How Was the Study Conducted?
- Data Source: 200,000 Bing Copilot conversations (U.S., 2024).
- Method: User goals and AI actions were mapped to work activities from the U.S. Department of Labor’s O*NET database.
- Result: An “AI applicability score” was calculated to determine the extent of impact across occupations.
Tasks Where People Seek Help vs. Tasks AI Takes On
- Some Tasks AI assists with: Shopping, financial transactions, health research, office equipment use, accident/incident investigation.
- Some Tasks AI directly performs: Teaching, explaining procedures, providing information, advising, explaining technical details, teaching academic or vocational topics.
AI is more likely to assist with tasks that involve a physical component (e.g., athletic activities, operating equipment) or interaction with external entities (e.g., purchasing, executing financial transactions). On the other hand, it is more likely to directly perform activities related to training, coaching, teaching, and advising.
Occupations Most Affected
Translators, historians, passenger attendants, sales representatives, writers, authors, customer service representatives, CNC Tool Programmers, telephone operators, ticket agents and travel clerks…
AI is heavily used in writing/editing, sales, customer service, programming, and clerical tasks.
Occupations Least Affected
Phlebotomists, Nursing assistants, hazardous material removal workers, helpers painters, plasterers, embalmers, plant and system operators, oral and maxilloacial surgeons, construction workers, drivers, cleaning staff, cooks, ,
These occupations involve physical work with people, operating/monitoring machinery, or other manual labor.
Occupational Impact Map
- Strongest activities: Providing information to customers, answering questions, preparing written content, organizing information.
- Most affected occupations: Customer service, sales, media and communication, academic research.
AI serves as a strong support tool especially in information-intensive and communication-focused occupations.
Overall Assessment
- Knowledge and communication-based occupations are undergoing transformation. Artificial intelligence provides speed and efficiency in these areas.
- In physically demanding jobs, the impact of artificial intelligence is limited, although indirect contributions (e.g., planning, analysis) are possible.
- Occupations requiring a university degree are more affected by artificial intelligence. This increases the importance of learning AI tools during the education process.
- It is important to remember that artificial intelligence will not only affect existing jobs but also lead to the emergence of new fields of work.
This research shows that artificial intelligence is most prominent in information-intensive and communication-oriented jobs. However, it does not fully take over all the tasks of any occupation. The path to success in the future lies in developing the ability to collaborate with AI, regardless of the profession.
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