Amid talk of artificial intelligence replacing workers, experts say there are some jobs that computers won’t take – at least not yet, BBC reports

Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, there have been constant threats that new machines – from power looms to microchips – will take away people’s jobs. For the most part, the people won. Now, some experts say, with artificial intelligence on the horizon, the threat is imminent: robots are actually coming to take some of our jobs.

A March 2023 report by Goldman Sachs estimated that artificial intelligence capable of generating content could do a quarter of all work currently done by humans. In the European Union and the United States, a report shows that 300 million jobs could be lost to automation. And that can be terrifying, says Martin Ford, author of Robot Rule: How Artificial Intelligence Will Change Everything.

Fortunately, it’s not all bad news. Experts say there are still things AI can’t do — tasks that require “very” human-like qualities, such as emotional intelligence and creative thinking.

“I think there are generally three categories that are going to be relatively isolated for the foreseeable future,” says Ford. “First of all, these are really creative jobs: you’re not working with formulas, you’re really coming up with new ideas or creating something new.”

This does not necessarily mean that all works considered “creative” are safe. In fact, things like graphic design and visual art may be among the first to be “favored” by AI; basic algorithms can direct the bot to analyze millions of images, allowing the AI ​​to master and combine them instantly.

But there are other kinds of creativity, says Ford: “in science, medicine, and law … people whose job it is to come up with a new legal strategy or a new business strategy. I think there will continue to be a place for people.”

A second isolated category, he continues, are jobs that require complex interpersonal relationships. He points to nurses, business consultants and investigative journalists. It’s a job, he says, “that requires a very deep understanding of people. I think it will be a long time before AI can really build relationships.”

The third safe zone, says Ford, “is robots that really require a lot of agility and the ability to solve problems in unpredictable environments.” Many jobs – electricians, plumbers, welders, etc. – come here. “It’s a job where you’re dealing with new situations that need to be resolved over time,” he adds. “They are probably the most difficult to automate. To automate such jobs, you need a sci-fi robot. You need C-3PO from Star Wars.

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