Microsoft reveals 40 jobs most exposed to AI as translators, writers, and educators face scrutiny

Microsoft researchers have revealed the 40 jobs most exposed to AI -- and even teachers make the list | Fortune

As companies like Amazon publicly announce AI-driven workforce reductions, workers are scrambling to understand which careers might soon disappear and be outsourced to technology. A report from Microsoft researchers studying the occupational implications of generative AI offers some clarity. Translators, historians, and writers are among the roles with the highest AI applicability score, meaning the job's tasks are most closely aligned with AI's current abilities, according to the report that ranked professions. Customer service and sales representatives -- which make up about 5 million jobs in the U.S. -- will also have to compete with AI. Overall, the jobs most exposed are ones that involve knowledge work -- like people doing computer, math, or administrative work in an office, the researchers wrote. Sales jobs are also high on the list, since they often involve sharing and explaining information. While Microsoft said high applicability doesn't automatically mean those jobs will necessarily be replaced by AI, the list of roles quickly went viral -- with professionals deeming them "most at risk." It comes as companies like IBM have been freezing thousands of would-be new roles that it expects AI will take over in the next 5 years, and graduates in the U.K. are facing the worst job market since 2018 as employers pause hiring and use AI to cut costs, said Indeed. Of course, there are some jobs that are unlikely to be touched by AI: Dredge operators; bridge and lock tenders; and water treatment plant and system operators are among the jobs with virtually no generative AI exposure, thanks in part to their hands-on equipment requirements. Still, business leaders like Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang have said every job will be touched by AI in some way, and so it's best to embrace it. "Every job will be affected, and immediately. It is unquestionable," Huang said at the Milken Institute's Global Conference in 2025. "You're not going to lose your job to an AI, but you're going to lose your job to someone who uses AI." Many of the jobs with high chances of getting upended by AI soon, like political scientists, journalists, and management analysts, are all ones that typically require a four-year degree to land a job. And as the researchers point out, having a degree -- which was once considered a surefire path to career advancement -- is no longer a safeguard against the changing tides. "In terms of education requirements, we find higher AI applicability for occupations requiring a Bachelor's degree than occupations with lower requirements," wrote the researchers, who studied 200,000 real-world conversations of Copilot users and cross-compared the AI's performance with occupational data. On the flip side, there are some career paths with low AI exposure, that are growing in demand. The health care sector, in particular, is an area that is experiencing this heavily. The home health and personal care aid industry is expected to create among the greatest number of new jobs over the next decade, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor. At the same time, the researchers recognized even their findings don't capture the full scope of the AI revolution -- and there could be further automation caused by more than just generative technology: "Our measurement is purely about LLMs: other applications of AI could certainly affect occupations involving operating and monitoring machinery, such as truck driving." Kiran Tomlinson, a senior Microsoft researcher, told Fortune the study focused on highlighting where AI might change how work is done, not take away or replace jobs. "Our research shows that AI supports many tasks, particularly those involving research, writing, and communication, but does not indicate it can fully perform any single occupation. As AI adoption accelerates, it's important that we continue to study and better understand its societal and economic impact," Tomlinson said. After seeing the rollercoaster of layoffs across the tech industry over the past few years, many Gen Zers have turned to seemingly steadier fields like education. The sector was the fastest-growing industry among recent U.K. graduates last year, and it was similarly a top career choice for American graduates. And while the profession can provide further work-life balance and decent benefits, the ability for AI to do the work may cause further headache. The report singles out farm and home management educators -- as well as postsecondary economics, business, and library science teachers -- as roles with relatively high AI applicability. While it's unlikely that schools will roll out AI teachers en masse, the report's findings underscore how quickly the technology could reshape the education profession -- and many others.

Microsoft releases list of 40 job roles most exposed to Artificial Intelligence. Is yours on the list?

Will AI take your job in 2026? At a time when artificial intelligence ambitions are high across the tech world, it is raising a serious question- how many jobs will AI take away amid the high tech advancements? Microsoft has released a list of 40 job roles with a high degree of overlap with AI, prompting experts to warn that it points to careers "most at risk". The jobs at highest risk include those of historians, translators, sales representatives, editors and more. While Microsoft has highlighted that high AI applicability does not automatically mean these roles will be killed by AI, but employers are increasingly freezing hiring and cutting positions as they turn to AI-driven productivity gains. In a bid to identify the roles with the highest AI applicability score, the tech giant analysed more than 200,000 real workplace conversations and interactions in which employees used Copilot (an AI-powered assistant that provides support for tasks, offers insights, and boosts productivity) to write emails, summarise meetings, generate reports, fix code, and even draft strategies. The purpose was clear: to identify where AI is assisting humans at work and where it can potentially replace a significant share of human tasks. The study revealed a surprising finding that most exposed jobs were centred on language, reasoning, data analysis, and information processing -- areas where generative AI already excels. Customer service and sales representatives -- which make up about 5 million jobs in the U.S. -- will also have to compete with AI, according to Fortune. Overall, the jobs most exposed are ones that involve knowledge work -- like people doing computer, math, or administrative work in an office, the researchers wrote. Sales jobs are also high on the list, since they often involve sharing and explaining information. ALSO READ: Elon Musk's xAI hiring 'elite engineers' for Rs 2,18,40,000: Applicants must be 'people's person' and comfortable with 'vibe coding'. Check eligibility, pay package, perks and more According to Microsoft, the list of top 40 jobs most affected by generative AI includes: Interpreters and Translators Historians Passenger Attendants Sales Representatives of Services Writers and Authors Customer Service Representatives CNC Tool Programmers Telephone Operators Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks Broadcast Announcers and Radio DJs Brokerage Clerks Farm and Home Management Educators Telemarketers Concierges Political Scientists News Analysts, Reporters, Journalists Mathematicians Technical Writers Proofreaders and Copy Markers Hosts and Hostesses Editors Business Teachers, Postsecondary Public Relations Specialists Demonstrators and Product Promoters Advertising Sales Agents New Accounts Clerks Statistical Assistants Counter and Rental Clerks Data Scientists Personal Financial Advisors Archivists Economics Teachers, Postsecondary Web Developers Management Analysts Geographers Models Market Research Analysts Public Safety Telecommunicators Switchboard Operators Library Science Teachers, Postsecondary Thankfully, jobs like dredge operators; bridge and lock tenders; and water treatment plant and system operators are among those with virtually no generative AI exposure, thanks in part to their hands-on equipment requirements. Dredge Operators Bridge and Lock Tenders Water Treatment Plant and System Operators Foundry Mold and Coremakers Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators Pile Driver Operators Floor Sanders and Finishers Orderlies Motorboat Operators Logging Equipment Operator ALSO READ: Gurugram horror caught on camera: Doctor reverses, accelerates, runs Scorpio over Swiggy delivery partner multiple times for parking his motorcycle near his house Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has said every job will be touched by AI in some way, and so it's best to embrace it. "Every job will be affected, and immediately. It is unquestionable," Huang said at the Milken Institute's Global Conference in 2025. "You're not going to lose your job to an AI, but you're going to lose your job to someone who uses AI." It is pertinent to note that most of the job roles likely to be impacted by generative AI-from political scientists to journalists to management analysts- require a four-year college degree. Degree, once seen as guaranteed tool for career security and advancement, no longer remains a reliable shield against evolving technological realities and the shift in AI trends. Drastically, several occupations with low exposure to AI are seeing strong growth and the healthcare sector stands out in particular. According to the US Bureau of Labor, the home health and personal care aide industry is projected to generate one of the highest numbers of new jobs over the next decade. "Our measurement is purely about LLMs," the researchers noted, adding that other AI applications could significantly impact roles that involve operating and monitoring machinery, such as truck driving. Kiran Tomlinson, a senior Microsoft researcher, told Fortune the study focused on highlighting where AI might change how work is done, not take away or replace jobs. "Our research shows that AI supports many tasks, particularly those involving research, writing, and communication, but does not indicate it can fully perform any single occupation. As AI adoption accelerates, it's important that we continue to study and better understand its societal and economic impact," Tomlinson said.