The real reasons why AI isn’t coming for your job, according to experts
You must have found yourself asking at least once during the past year: “Could AI take my job?”
Modern workplaces are increasingly using artificial intelligence tools that promise to free workers from the daily drudgery of their jobs. The technology has been praised as a game-changer that “has the potential to transform the lives of working people” by prime minister Sir Keir Starmer, whose government has pledged millions to support the establishment of “AI growth zones” across the country.
But according to experts at Microsoft and Imperial College London, artificial intelligence will not take your job tomorrow. In an article published in the journal Occupational MedicineThey warned that AI technology could bring benefits to workplaces but could actually make more complex roles left to humans.
changing landscape
Chief investigator Dr. As AI becomes more deeply embedded in workplaces, the technology “will also create its own new health problems and challenges,” according to Lara Shemtob.
“Research shows that the labor market is changing and some jobs and industries are more impacted by AI than others,” he said. “It’s important for businesses to be aware of this.”
So instead of worrying about AI taking away jobs, workplaces should be aware of how the implementation of new technology impacts employees, he said.
For example, Dr Shemtob said he could see some employees’ roles shifting towards interacting with technology, where they used to talk with colleagues.
“Relationships can change if you start communicating more with technology than with a human counterpart,” he explained. “This is the kind of issue we encourage employers to be wary of.”
He added that some people may not be expected to be managers when they take on their roles, but they may find themselves taking on managerial roles over AI agents.
Likewise, he said, AI’s “hallucination” could mean humans need to control the work in more detail, placing greater burdens on workers.
Both issues are things he says can become a “hidden workload” that can “negate the benefits” of using technology.
“As AI performs routine tasks, human roles may shift towards management, problem-solving or emotional labour, all of which may have their own psychological demands,” Dr Shemtob said.
The team also warned that we will see increasing “role ambiguity” in workplaces as the sophistication of AI accelerates and the tasks that can be assigned to it or taken away from colleagues increase.
This could potentially increase mental health issues such as uncertainty, stress and anxiety, he said.
“We know that risk factors for work-related stress include things like role ambiguity, and change can also be a stressor,” he said.
Benefits
Dr Shemtob was keen to highlight the benefits AI technologies can bring to the workplace.
He said the government’s plans to make AI “useful for working people” through greater investment and adoption of the technology in British industry could have “many advantages”. The AI Opportunities Action Plan saw the government team up with leading tech firms and investors to commit to creating AI growth zones and “ensuring British businesses and researchers remain at the forefront of AI”.
He believes new technology could help the 2.5-3 million people in the UK who are currently “economically inactive” due to health problems by reducing barriers to employment.
“People with certain types of neurodiversity can really benefit from the things AI can do in the workplace,” he explained. “AI tools such as transcription, summarization, and planning support may reduce barriers for neurodivergent workers.”
Dr Shemtob added that the introduction of AI technology could also provide mental health benefits for workers despite the challenges in the region.
For example, although the experts behind the paper acknowledge there are “issues with appropriate decision-making,” they believe the paper can be used to control “hazards” by reducing human involvement and completing tasks that are dangerous or psychologically harmful to humans, such as online content moderation.
He also said new technologies are helping occupational health professionals expand their reach and reach more people in need.
But he said workplaces need to use AI “consciously” to feel the full effects of the benefits.
“I think the pace of change is so fast that it’s hard to keep up and think things through,” he added. “We encourage people to think consciously about how you use AI; we need to be much more proactive in our awareness of how we use it.”
