Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Work
by Dario Ferrero (VerbaniaNotizie.it)
Like in The Matrix, we are faced with a choice: red pill or blue pill? Artificial intelligence is entering the world of work, and we can no longer ignore it.
The great transformation: between lost jobs and new professional opportunities
The question that keeps managers, union leaders, and workers around the world awake at night is always the same: will AI steal our jobs or create new ones? The answer, as is often the case with major technological transformations, is more complex than it seems and deserves to be analyzed with concrete data, leaving aside both doomsayers and dreamers.
The debate on jobs and artificial intelligence has reached a turning point thanks to scientific research that finally allows us to go beyond speculation. We are no longer talking about vague predictions or science fiction scenarios, but about analyses based on the real use that millions of people make of these tools every day. The numbers emerging from these studies paint a surprising picture, which overturns many of our preconceptions about technology and the future of work.
The numbers of the transformation
The World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs Report 2023 analyzed 673 million jobs globally, providing the most comprehensive picture ever of the impact of artificial intelligence on the world of work. The results are as enlightening as they are unexpected: while 83 million jobs are set to be eliminated in the next five years due to automation and AI, a full 69 million new positions will be created precisely because of these technologies. The net balance remains slightly negative, but it is a much smaller contraction than many predicted.
Even more interesting is the approach taken by Microsoft researchers in the study "Working with AI: Measuring the Occupational Implications of Generative AI", led by Kiran Tomlinson. For the first time, instead of relying on theoretical predictions, the researchers analyzed 200,000 anonymized conversations between real users and Microsoft Bing Copilot. This revolutionary approach has made it possible to create a scientific coefficient called the "AI Applicability Score" which measures how much artificial intelligence can actually help or replace specific work activities.
The rigorous methodology adopted by Microsoft represents a turning point in research on the impact of AI. Instead of relying on speculation or theoretical models, the researchers observed what people actually do when they interact with artificial intelligence for work purposes. The results of this empirical analysis are surprising and often counterintuitive compared to traditional predictions.
The fundamental difference between these studies and previous forecasts lies in the concreteness of the approach. We are no longer talking about what AI could do in theory, but what it is already doing in the daily practice of millions of workers. This change of perspective has produced results that challenge many of our established certainties.
Who is most at risk
The results of the Microsoft study reveal a paradox that would have made even Isaac Asimov smile: the jobs most exposed to artificial intelligence are not the manual ones we imagined, but the professions related to computers and mathematics, administrative support, and sales that involve providing and communicating information. It is as if Data from Star Trek had proved more vulnerable than Scotty, the engineer who tinkered with his hands in the ducts of the Enterprise.
The analysis of real conversations has shown that the most common activities for which people ask for AI assistance are information gathering and writing, while artificial intelligence excels precisely in providing information, writing, teaching, and advising. This almost perfect overlap explains why some "intellectual" jobs are more exposed than we expected.
The issue of education emerges as particularly complex. Contrary to what one might think, AI does not only affect less qualified jobs, but cuts across all levels of education. Many professionals with specialized degrees find themselves paradoxically more exposed than workers with specific technical and manual skills. This completely overturns the traditional paradigm according to which technology would always have favored the most educated.
The safest jobs are those that require physical presence, specific manual skills, and direct interaction with the environment. Plumbers, electricians, mechanics, but also surgeons, nurses, and early childhood educators maintain a significant competitive advantage over artificial intelligence. The key lies in the combination of fine motor skills, the ability to adapt to unforeseen situations, and emotional interaction with people.
A particularly interesting aspect that emerged from the research is that the salary level is not necessarily correlated with job security. Some very well-paid jobs, especially in the financial and consulting sectors, show surprisingly high AI applicability scores. Conversely, some professions with medium or low salaries, but which require physical presence and contextual problem-solving, are much more protected.
Image from the World Economic Forum website
The new opportunities
While some sectors are contracting, others are literally exploding. The emerging professions identified by the World Economic Forum go far beyond the classic software developers. We are seeing the birth of machine learning specialists, AI engineers, consultants for the implementation of artificial intelligence, but also hybrid figures who combine traditional skills with the ability to collaborate effectively with intelligent systems.
The sectors with the highest employment growth in the period 2023-2027, according to the Future of Jobs Report 2023, are precision agriculture, intelligent transport, and personalized education. In these areas, artificial intelligence does not replace the human worker, but enormously amplifies their capabilities. An agronomist can now monitor thousands of hectares through drones and AI sensors, a logistics operator can optimize routes for hundreds of vehicles in real time, a teacher can personalize learning for dozens of students simultaneously.
Microsoft's research has shown that the skills of the future are not only technical, but above all include the ability to collaborate effectively with AI systems. The most successful interactions between humans and artificial intelligence show that the best results are obtained when people know how to formulate precise requests, how to verify and refine the AI's answers, and how to integrate the artificial output with human judgment and creativity.
A completely new professional figure is emerging: the "prompt engineer" or "AI whisperer," someone who knows how to communicate effectively with artificial intelligence to obtain optimal results. You don't need a degree in computer science to become an expert in this field, but rather a combination of curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking skills.
Another fast-growing sector is that of ethical supervision of AI. With the increasing spread of these tools, the demand for professionals who can ensure that artificial intelligence is used in a responsible, transparent, and respectful way of human rights is growing. These "AI Ethics Officers" represent a completely new profession that combines technical, philosophical, and legal skills.
Image from the World Economic Forum website
The final balance and social implications
Mathematically speaking, the numbers are all in all encouraging. The World Economic Forum predicts that the net creation of jobs will be able to compensate for a large part of the losses, albeit with a slightly negative balance. However, the real challenge lies not in the aggregate numbers, but in the complexity of the transition and in the geographical and social distribution of these changes.
The main problem is that the new jobs may not go to the same people who lose the traditional ones. A middle-aged accountant who sees their role automated will hardly become a machine learning specialist overnight. This temporal and qualitative asymmetry represents the true social challenge of the AI era.
The territorial issue adds a further level of complexity. The new jobs related to artificial intelligence tend to be concentrated in specific metropolitan areas with developed technological ecosystems, while the jobs eliminated by automation are often distributed more evenly throughout the territory. This risks accentuating existing geographical and economic gaps, creating a new form of digital inequality.
The importance of continuous training emerges as a crucial factor in managing this transition. As in Chaplin's "Modern Times," every industrial revolution has initially created disorientation and fear, but has ultimately led to a general improvement in the standard of living. The difference today lies in the speed of change, which requires much more agile and adaptable education and training systems.
Reskilling and upskilling are no longer options, but necessities for anyone who wants to remain competitive in the job market. The most far-sighted companies are already investing heavily in the retraining of their employees, recognizing that it is more convenient to train existing staff rather than replace them completely.
Preparing for change
Individual strategies for navigating this transition require first and foremost a change of mentality. Adaptability becomes the most important skill, more valuable than specific knowledge of any sector. Those who are able to learn continuously, reinvent themselves professionally, and see emerging technologies as allies rather than enemies will always have a competitive advantage.
The role of institutions is fundamental in facilitating this change. Governments and companies must collaborate to create effective training programs, adequate social safety nets, and policies that promote a transition that is as fair and inclusive as possible. Investment in digital education and continuous training is the key to transforming a potential crisis into an opportunity for collective growth.
The ability to learn continuously truly becomes the superpower of the twenty-first century. In a world where artificial intelligence evolves at an exponential rate, the difference will be made by those who know how to evolve with it, always maintaining those uniquely human characteristics that no machine can ever replicate: empathy, creativity, critical thinking, and the ability to give meaning to experiences.
Conclusions
Artificial intelligence is neither the savior nor the destroyer of human work that many portray. It is a very powerful tool that, like all the great technologies in history, will profoundly redefine the way we work, but not necessarily the amount of work available. Scientific data show a complex but substantially optimistic picture, where the opportunities created can balance the jobs eliminated.
The real challenge is not technological, but social: how to manage a transition that will inevitably be traumatic for many, how to ensure that the benefits of AI are distributed equitably, how to prepare future generations for a constantly evolving world of work. If we can face these challenges with intelligence, collaboration, and foresight, artificial intelligence can truly become the catalyst for a new era of shared prosperity.
The future of work will be what we decide to build. Artificial intelligence offers us the tools, but it is up to us to choose how to use them. The red or blue pill from The Matrix, in the end, we choose.