Microsoft Study Reveals AI's Impact on Various Occupations: Writing and Knowledge Work Most Affected

Microsoft research: Which jobs overlap most with AI tasks?

Microsoft researchers have found that people get the most use of AI for writing and knowledge work, but they offer some comfort to worried white-collar workers, saying that their jobs may only change rather than go away completely. The researchers analyzed more than 200,000 anonymized interactions with Bing Copilot, Microsoft's AI search engine assistant, which summarizes search results and provides answers rather than lists of web pages - similar to the AI Overviews in Google Search. They focused on measuring the applicability of generative AI to common work activities such as "Getting Information," "Communicating with People Outside the Organization," and "Performing for or Working Directly with the Public." They then mapped that data to specific occupations. Overall, they found that the answers provided by Bing Copilot are more applicable to occupations that require at least a bachelor's degree. And they are least applicable to healthcare support and jobs involving physical labor, like farming and construction. The project, described in a pre-print paper titled "Working with AI: Measuring the Occupational Implications of Generative AI," did not try to answer how AI might affect wages or lead to job loss, however. "It is tempting to conclude that occupations that have high overlap with activities AI performs will be automated and thus experience job or wage loss, and that occupations with activities AI assists with will be augmented and raise wages," wrote authors Kiran Tomlinson, Sonia Jaffe, Will Wang, Scott Counts, and Siddharth Suri. "This would be a mistake, as our data do not include the downstream business impacts of new technology, which are very hard to predict and often counterintuitive." As an example, they cite research from 2015 describing how Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs) actually led to an increase in bank branches and bank tellers, who refocused on building customer relationships. "Our study explores which job categories can productively use AI chatbots," Tomlinson, a senior researcher at Microsoft, told The Register in an emailed statement. "It introduces an AI applicability score that measures the overlap between AI capabilities and job tasks, 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." According to the paper, the top ten jobs where AI applicability overlaps the most with expected tasks are: The ten occupations least exposed to AI include: The researchers say their findings do not mean that AI will be able to perform all the tasks expected for a given occupation. "There are definitely some occupations for which many - perhaps even most - work activities have some overlap with demonstrated AI capabilities," they say. "But even when there is overlap, the task completion rate is not 100 percent and the scope of impact is usually moderate." As a caveat, the researchers observe that focusing on the usage of Bing Copilot may influence their findings. "The relatively high prevalence of information gathering may be due to Copilot's connection to the Bing search engine at the time our data originates," they observe. Conversational studies of Anthropic's Claude model show more emphasis on computer and math tasks, they say. In any event, the Microsoft boffins conclude that it's too early to tell how AI will affect specific occupations. But if you're looking for a stable and low-change career, perhaps consider learning how to operate a pile driver.®

Painters, nursing assistants, and more: Microsoft's top 10 most AI-safe careers

Blue-collar jobs are least likely to be impacted by AI, Microsoft research finds. Blue-collar jobs have a new sheen to them as desk workers become increasingly vulnerable to being replaced by artificial intelligence. Microsoft examined the link between how much certain workers rely on AI tools and the potential impact to their professions, in a new report titled "Occupational Implications of Generative AI." The tech giant's researchers analyzed data from 200,000 anonymized and privacy-scrubbed conversations in the U.S. between users and the tech giant's AI chatbot companion, Microsoft Bing Copilot, gathered over nine months between January and September 2024. The analysis, published last week, focused on users seeking assistance from Copilot to complete a task, defined as the "user goal" by researchers. Meanwhile, AI performing a task within the conversation was labelled "AI action." This determined which work activities generative AI was completing. In some cases, the AI was providing instructions on how to perform a task. "To illustrate the distinction, if the user is trying to figure out how to print a document, the user goal is to operate office equipment, while the AI action is to train others to use equipment," the report said. The researchers found that users were most actively seeking help from AI for "information gathering, writing, and communicating with others," and these actions were also the most successfully completed tasks by AI. "On the AI action side, we see that AI often acts in a service role to the human as a coach, advisor, or teacher that gathers information and explains it to the user." This has put occupations like interpreters, translators, historians, writers, and sales representatives at the highest risk of AI adoption and impact. However, blue-collar professionals, many of whom do physical work either with people or machines, were the least likely to be seeking help from AI, and were therefore classified as the occupations least impacted by AI. This includes roles like dishwashers, massage therapists, roofers, maids, and housekeeping cleaners. A recent Gallup report showed that it's mainly white-collar workers increasing AI-use with 27% frequently using AI at work, up 12% since 2024. Industries with the most prolific AI users were tech (50%), professional services (34%), and finance (32%.) Meanwhile, frequent use of AI by production and frontline workers was flat for two years, from 11% in 2023 to 9% in 2025, per Gallup. Microsoft's researchers did note that their measurements were purely focused on large language models (LLMs), and other applications of AI could affect occupations involving operating and monitoring machinery, such as truck driving. "AI has really transformed white collar work and the skills premiums are shrinking dramatically," future of work expert Ravin Jesuthasan told CNBC Make It in an interview. "People need to upskill and reskill at real scale and speed." He added: "If I'm a plumber, we're a long, long way from a machine being able to replace me as a plumber, because the set of plumbing fixtures I have in my house look completely different from yours and so the ability of a robot to sort of be able to do that [is small.] So there is a lot more stability."

These 10 jobs are the least AI-safe, according to new Microsoft report: 5 are in customer service

It's no secret that artificial intelligence has changed the way people find information, talk to their peers and even plan their weekly to-do lists. The technology also has the power to change your job responsibilities -- or get rid of them altogether. Take Microsoft's new report, "Working with AI: Measuring the Occupational Implications of Generative AI," which analyzed the adoption of AI by different workers and its possible impact on their jobs. Microsoft found that many desk jobs are at risk of being upended, as AI can complete a significant amount of their work duties. Researchers at the tech giant examined 200,000 anonymous and privacy-scrubbed conversations between their chatbot, Bing Copilot, and U.S. users collected between January and September 2024. "We find the most common work activities people seek AI assistance for involve gathering information and writing, while the most common activities that AI itself is performing are providing information and assistance, writing, teaching, and advising," researchers wrote in the report. Based on the findings, these are the top 10 least AI safe jobs -- with the highest exposure to the technology: "Interpreters and Translators are at the top of the list, with 98% of their work activities overlapping with frequent Copilot tasks with fairly high completion rates and scope scores," the report said. "Other occupations with high applicability scores include those related to writing/editing, sales, customer service, programming, and clerking." The report also named the occupations that were the most AI proof, largely consisting of medical and blue-collar jobs, typically requiring more physical or hands-on work. Those include roles like phlebotomists and nursing assistants, to ship engineers and tire repairers.

These are the jobs that are most likely to be automated by AI

Through the looking glass: Artificial intelligence tools are seeping into daily work, but some jobs are feeling the impact far more than others. A Microsoft study analyzing hundreds of thousands of anonymized Bing Copilot conversations offers a clearer, more grounded view of where AI is already reshaping tasks - and where its influence stops short. The study stands out for its approach. Instead of speculating about AI's future impact, it examined actual recorded interactions between everyday users and a leading generative AI tool over nine months in 2024. Researchers mapped these conversations to detailed occupational tasks from O*NET, the US government's database of job activities. They measured not only what users attempted, but how well the system performed - and which parts of jobs could plausibly be affected. The result is a list not of abstract predictions, but of specific professions whose core tasks already align with AI's abilities - and those where current systems fall short. Jobs high on the AI-applicability scale mostly involve handling and communicating information. Interpreters and translators rank highest, followed by roles like writers, editors, reporters, and technical writers. Ticket agents, customer service reps, and concierges also fit the pattern - careers built around answering questions, drafting content, and relaying details. Generative AI is already proving effective at assisting, and sometimes completing, much of that work. Here is the list of professions most likely to be affected by AI. The study also points to jobs largely untouched by generative AI - roles built around physical work, hands-on care, or direct operation of machines, where language models offer little help. Medical staff like phlebotomists and nursing assistants fall into this group, as do hazardous materials workers, embalmers, and a range of manual trades from ship engineers to dishwashers. These jobs demand physical skill and spatial reasoning - abilities far beyond what today's AI can do. Occupations least likely to be affected include: The findings don't mean AI will replace entire occupations overnight. A high applicability score signals that many of a job's core tasks can be assisted - or even handled - by today's systems, but not that the human role disappears. A low score isn't a shield, either; robotics or future AI breakthroughs could still transform these jobs later. The study avoids guessing whether employment in these roles will grow or shrink. Technology has a history of reshaping jobs in unexpected ways, sometimes even creating demand in places where tasks evolve or expand. For now, though, the data offers the clearest look yet at how generative AI is already intersecting with the world of work - not a projection, but reality unfolding one conversation at a time.

Microsoft Predicts These Jobs Are Safe From AI

If you want to work with dead bodies, AI probably won't steal your career. Much ink has already been spilled about the threat of AI to various labor markets. As new forms of automation seep into industries, folks want to know which jobs are endangered and which are safe. Well, a new study published by Microsoft researchers purports to show which positions have the most AI "applicability," and which do not. From the research, you might assume you could predict which careers have longevity and which may soon go the way of the Dodo -- although the report itself denies that this is necessarily the case. Microsoft's study was compiled by analyzing queries entered into its search engine chatbot, Bing Copilot. The goal of the research was to analyze "what work activities users are seeking AI assistance with, what activities the AI performs, and what this means about occupations," the report states. From its research, Microsoft developed what it calls an "AI applicability score," which measures whether a particular vocation can productively apply AI in its activities or not. The score "allows us to track the frontier of AI's relevance to work," researchers write. Frequently, in jobs where AI ranks relatively high in terms of applicability, the technology "often acts in a service role to the human as a coach, advisor, or teacher that gathers information and explains it to the user," the report claims. "We find the highest AI applicability scores for knowledge work occupation groups such as computer and mathematical, and office and administrative support, as well as occupations such as sales whose work activities involve providing and communicating information," it continues. The 40 occupations with the highest AI "applicability" score are as follows: As you can see, most of the jobs here are so-called "knowledge economy" jobs -- careers that involve learning about, analyzing, and communicating specialized information. On the other hand, the jobs that don't have much AI applicability are decidedly more blue-collar. They are as follows: As you can see, my job (writer) scores relatively high on the scale of positions that could be exposed to automation. On the other hand, job categories such as "dishwasher," "cement mason," "gas pumping station operator," "floor sander," "motorboat operator," "hazardous waste removal worker," and "embalmer," all rank relatively low on that same scale. One would think that you wouldn't need to do a whole study to come to these conclusions, but here we are. Microsoft's study claims that there isn't necessarily a positive correlation between activities that AI can do and jobs that will soon find themselves on the chopping block. It states: "It is tempting to conclude that occupations that have high overlap with activities AI performs will be automated and thus experience job or wage loss, and that occupations with activities AI assists with will be augmented and raise wages," the report states. "This would be a mistake, as our data do not include the downstream business impacts of new technology, which are very hard to predict and often counterintuitive." It makes sense that Microsoft would want to downplay the disruptive potential of its new technology. Yet if recent history is to be considered (i.e. layoffs in industries where AI has seen inroads -- like coding), it may not actually be all that difficult to predict how things will pan out, at least in the short term. We'll probably see a lot of embarrassing efforts to fire people and hire AI being reversed before the god-machine ever graces us with its presence. So, if you've always dreamed of making a living by dipping corpses in preservative liquid in preparation for their journey into the afterlife, good news! You will probably be able to have a career that is relatively unperturbed by AI, and there's very little chance that a chatbot (or robot) will take job opportunities away from you. If, on the other hand, you aspire to a lot in life that doesn't involve cleaning plates, felling trees, disposing of plutonium, or consorting with dead bodies, there may be little hope for you.

Microsoft study shows jobs most -- and least -- impacted by generative AI

AI may be coming for your job -- but not if you're operating machinery, building tires, or replacing roofs. A new study from Microsoft reveals which jobs are most -- and least -- susceptible to generative AI, based on an analysis of 200,000 anonymized conversations with Bing Copilot users in 2024. The study mapped conversations to work activities using the U.S. government's job classification system and calculated an "AI applicability score" for each occupation. Knowledge work and communication-focused occupations dominate the high-vulnerability categories. Jobs involving manual labor, physical presence, or machinery operation ranked lowest. The research is unique because it analyzed actual AI usage from Copilot conversations in 2024 rather than relying on theoretical assessments. The researchers noted that their data only shows AI capability overlap with work activities, not actual job displacement. Historical examples show automation can sometimes increase rather than decrease employment in affected sectors. * "We measured how AI capabilities overlap with work activities, but it remains to be seen how different occupations refactor their work responsibilities in response to AI's rapid progress," they wrote in the study. "It could be that jobs change which activities they encompass, as in the case of bank tellers and ATMs. In addition, entirely new occupations may emerge due to the rise of AI, performing new types of work activities." Here were the top 25 occupations most and least impacted by AI, based on the AI applicability score in the study. Most impacted: * Interpreters and Translators * Historians * Passenger Attendants * Sales Representatives (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, and 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

Microsoft study reveals the 40 jobs AI is most likely to replace -- and 40 that are safe (for now)

A newly released Microsoft Research study has ranked 40 occupations it believes are most at risk from advanced AI tools, including writing and journalism roles, customer support and data analysis. At the same time, the study identifies 40 jobs with minimal AI exposure, particularly those that require a physical presence or hands-on interaction. Here's what it means for workers and industries in 2025. Microsoft's analysis introduces an "AI applicability score," which is a metric designed to assess how aligned job tasks are with current AI capabilities like Copilot and ChatGPT. Specifically, it measures how frequently AI tools are already used in those roles. Topping the list are customer service representatives, who account for nearly 2.86 million workers. Other highly vulnerable roles include writers, authors, journalists, editors, translators, interpreters and proofreaders. The list also features sales and PR professionals, web developers, data scientists, and business analysts; all roles where AI tools like ChatGPT and Copilot are already being used to streamline tasks and boost efficiency, raising questions about long-term job security. Microsoft emphasizes that the study illustrates how AI can assist or enhance these roles, but critics note that automation may translate into outright job cuts, especially as companies look to streamline headcount. Skills rooted in physical labor or requiring human touch are currently less automatable. The least affected roles include manual labor and infrastructure operation (e.g., dredge operators, paving crews, roofers). Healthcare support like nursing assistants, surgical aides, phlebotomists and massage therapists. Additionally, certain skilled trades and facility management roles are considered far less vulnerable to AI disruption. These jobs typically require hands-on work or physical presence, tasks that current AI tools are not well-equipped to replicate. The overall message is essentially: if your job involves manual labor, in-person interaction or physical precision, it's likely to remain safer from automation, at least for now. Tech industry leaders like OpenAI CEO Sam Altman have warned that entire job categories, especially in customer service, may disappear as AI becomes more capable. Anthropic's CEO, Dario Amodei, warned that AI could eliminate up to 50% of entry-level white‑collar jobs within the next five years, potentially pushing unemployment rates as high as 10-20%, unless government and industry take proactive steps to prepare. Office-based roles such as journalists, customer service representatives and data analysts are under increasing pressure as AI tools become more deeply integrated into daily workflows. AI reduces demand for easily automated tasks like routine text review has also increased the need for complementary human skills such as digital literacy, teamwork and ethical decision-making. In contrast, hands-on professions remain more resilient for now, though experts warn that robotics and automation could eventually reshape those fields as well. Suppose your job appears on the AI-vulnerable list. In that case, it's a good time to evaluate your skill risk and consider upskilling, particularly in areas where human judgment and creativity still matter. Developing complementary skills like critical thinking, communication, ethical reasoning, and AI oversight can help you stay competitive as automation accelerates. While AI won't fully replace many roles, they're likely to evolve into hybrid workflows that combine human expertise with machine efficiency, making adaptability a key asset for the future. Microsoft's study reveals where the pressure is mounting. As AI tools like Copilot become more capable, organizations may push to replace or reallocate roles traditionally handled by humans. Yet, remember, not all change is bad. With proactive upskilling and a strategic shift toward hybrid human-AI workflows, many careers may pivot rather than vanish completely, as generative AI itself evolves.

Microsoft Releases List of Jobs Most and Least Likely to Be Replaced by AI

Researchers at Microsoft tried to determine which precise jobs are most and least likely to be replaced by generative AI -- and the results are bad news for anyone currently enjoying the perks of a cushy desk job. As detailed in a yet-to-be-peer-reviewed paper, the Microsoft team analyzed a "dataset of 200k anonymized and privacy-scrubbed conversations between users and Microsoft Bing Copilot," and found that the occupations most likely to be made obsolete by the tech involve "providing information and assistance, writing, teaching, and advising." The team used the data to come up with an "AI applicability score," an effort to quantify just how vulnerable each given occupation is, taking into consideration how often AI is already being used there and how successful those efforts have been. According to the analysis, jobs most likely to be replaced include translators, historians, sales reps, writers, authors, and customer service reps. Jobs that are the safest from AI automation, in contrast, include heavy machinery and motorboat operators, housekeepers, roofers, massage therapists, and dishwashers. In other words, the sweeping takeaway was that lower-paying and manual labor-focused occupations are far less likely to be automated than occupations that suit the expertise of large language model-based AI chatbots. However, we should take the results with a healthy grain of salt. For one, we should consider that Microsoft employees are incentivized to paint the technology in the best light by the company's massive investments in the space, which could lead to overstating generative AI's capabilities. The researchers also warn that "our data do not indicate that AI is performing all of the work activities of any one occupation," meaning that for many gigs, AI won't be able to take over 100 percent of tasks. Then there's the fact that "different people use different LLMs for different purposes" and that the nature of many jobs isn't perfectly represented in the data. That could explain why certain jobs, such as historians, authors, and political scientists, ended up with some of the highest AI applicability scores, despite greatly relying on human intuition and expertise, and having to work with incomplete or contradictory documentation. That's not to mention the tech's propensity to hallucinate made-up factual claims. That's an inconvenient reality that hangs over the whole paper and the AI industry itself: even if the tech does end up replacing a lot of human jobs, it's likely it will do so by providing an inferior service that we'll just have to learn to live with. The team also cautioned -- although again, remember Microsoft's economic interests -- that replacing jobs doesn't necessarily mean that employment or wages in a sector will decline. "This would be a mistake, as our data do not include the downstream business impacts of new technology, which are very hard to predict and often counterintuitive," the researchers write. "Take the example of ATMs, which automated a core task of bank tellers, but led to an increase in the number of bank teller jobs as banks opened more branches at lower costs and tellers focused on more valuable relationship-building rather than processing deposits and withdrawals." It's a common refrain among tech companies that generative AI will lead to the creation of new types of jobs, a convenient conclusion that neatly counters ongoing narratives of imminent job losses. But not everybody in the industry is trying to soften the blow. Earlier this month, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman warned that entire job categories could be wiped out by AI, with "some areas" in the job market, such as customer support roles, being "just like totally, totally gone." And Elijah Clark, a CEO who advises other company leaders on how to make use of AI, recently told Gizmodo that "CEOs are extremely excited about the opportunities that AI brings." "As a CEO myself, I can tell you, I'm extremely excited about it," he added. "I've laid off employees myself because of AI." In short, while it's an interesting glimpse into how users are making use of AI chatbots such as Microsoft's Bing Copilot, it's difficult to get an accurate picture of what the job market will look like in the years to come. "Exactly which new jobs emerge, and how old ones are reconstituted, is an important future research direction in the AI age," the researchers wrote. "At the same time, the technology itself will continue to evolve; our measurement of AI applicability is only a snapshot in time." "Modernizing our understanding of workplace activities will be crucial as generative AI continues to change how work is done," they concluded.

20 jobs and careers AI is unlikely to ever touch, according to Microsoft

While people in the communications field have good reason to be worried, Microsoft has unveiled a study showing which careers are most and least likely to be affected by generative AI. What it avoided saying directly, though, was whether those careers would vanish in the coming years. To determine the risk factor, Microsoft analyzed a "dataset of 200k anonymized and privacy-scrubbed conversations between users and Microsoft Bing Copilot" to assess an AI applicability score. The higher the score, the bigger the threat. The jobs most at risk, it found, were those that involve "providing information and assistance, writing, teaching, and advising." The study's not the first to send up a warning flare about those positions, though. What it did that really stood out was look at the jobs that area less likely to be impacted. And healthcare and blue-collar jobs have the best chance of withstanding an AI assault. Here's a ranked look at the 20 careers that posted the lowest AI applicability score: * 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 operators * Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators * Maids and housekeeping cleaners * Roustabouts (oil and gas) * Roofers * Gas compressor and gas pumping station operators * Helpers-roofers * Tire builders * Surgical assistants * Massage therapists * Ophthalmic medical technicians Other jobs that are in the safety zone include industrial truck and tractor operators, highway maintenance workers, dishwashers, automotive glass installers, embalmers and phlebotomists.

Microsoft researchers have revealed the list of the 40 jobs that AI is likely to steal -- and not even teachers are safe

As companies like Amazon publicly announced AI-driven workforce reductions, workers are scrambling to understand which careers might soon disappear and be outsourced to technology. A new 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 released this month that ranked professions. Customer service and sales representatives -- which make up about 5 million jobs in the U.S. -- are also highly vulnerable to being replaced by AI. Overall, the jobs on AI's chopping block are ones that are ones that involve knowledge work -- like people doing computer, math, or administrative work in an office, the researchers wrote. Sales jobs are also on the list, since they often involve sharing and explaining information. Of course, there are some jobs that are safe from AI's claw: 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 that 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 May. "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 healthcare sector, in particular, is an area that is experiencing this heavily. The home health and personal care aid industry is expected to create 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 that 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." Fortune reached out to Microsoft for comment. 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. The top 10 least affected occupations by generative AI:

20 AI-safe jobs that are less likely to be replaced

In the age of automation and artificial intelligence, some jobs are safer than others. If you want a stable career for years to come, you might consider becoming a dredge operator, roofer, massage therapist, or housekeeper. These are some of the "safest" jobs from getting replaced by AI, according to a new paper by Microsoft Research. The report, titled "Working with AI: Measuring the Occupational Implications of Generative AI," was published on July 22 to look at how the rapid adoption of generative AI could affect jobs. Researchers analyzed 200,000 anonymous and privacy-scrubbed conversations between U.S. users and Microsoft's Bing Copilot, the company's premier generative AI tool, to find the most common work activities for which people seek AI assistance. The report ranks jobs by an "AI applicability score," which measures the frequency with which workers rely on artificial intelligence and the potential for that job to be replaced by AI. Jobs with the highest AI applicability scores, or that use AI the most, were knowledge-based occupations that involve providing and communicating information, such as computer and mathematical fields, office and administrative support, and sales. "We find that people are using Copilot to provide services for the execution of knowledge work activities, and do so disproportionately often relative to the fraction of knowledge work in the workforce," the report said. Meanwhile, most of the jobs with the lowest AI applicability scores are blue-collar positions within the transportation, construction, service, medical, and dental fields. These jobs rely heavily on tasks that are not typically outsourced to AI, such as operating and repairing vehicles and equipment. Here are the top 20 AI-safe jobs, according to the report:

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

As companies like Amazon publicly announced AI-driven workforce reductions, workers are scrambling to understand which careers might soon disappear and be outsourced to technology. A new 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 released this month 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 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, says 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 that 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 May. "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 healthcare sector, in particular, is an area that is experiencing this heavily. The home health and personal care aid industry is expected to create 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 that 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, tells 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 says. 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. The top 10 least affected occupations by generative AI:

Which jobs are most AI-ready? Microsoft has answers

White-collar jobs in sales, admin, and computing ranked highest, with AI serving in advisory or information-gathering roles. A recent Microsoft study investigated the "applicability" of artificial intelligence across various professions by scrutinizing search queries entered into Bing Copilot, Microsoft's search engine chatbot. The study aimed to determine how AI could be productively applied to different vocations. The Microsoft researchers developed a metric called the "AI applicability score." This score is designed to gauge the extent to which AI can be incorporated into and benefit specific job roles. The study's report indicates that this score serves to "track the frontier of AI's relevance to work." The primary goal was to analyze "what work activities users are seeking AI assistance with, what activities the AI performs, and what this means about occupations." According to the Microsoft report, occupations that demonstrated high AI applicability often involve AI functioning in a supportive capacity. In these roles, the technology "often acts in a service role to the human as a coach, advisor, or teacher that gathers information and explains it to the user." The report emphasizes that AI in these scenarios serves to augment human capabilities rather than replace them entirely. The study identified specific categories of jobs as having the highest AI applicability scores. These include "knowledge work occupation groups such as computer and mathematical, and office and administrative support, as well as occupations such as sales whose work activities involve providing and communicating information." These professions typically involve analyzing and communicating specialized information, making them suitable for AI assistance. In contrast, the study also identified occupations with low AI applicability scores. These roles generally involve manual labor and physical tasks. Examples cited include "dishwasher," "cement mason," "gas pumping station operator," "floor sander," "motorboat operator," "hazardous waste removal worker," and "embalmer." The nature of these jobs, which require physical dexterity and interaction with physical objects, makes them less susceptible to AI automation. Microsoft's findings suggest a disparity in AI's potential impact across different sectors. While some professions are poised to benefit from AI integration, others appear relatively insulated due to the nature of their required tasks. The study provides a quantitative measure, the AI applicability score, to assess this potential impact. The report states: "It is tempting to conclude that occupations that have high overlap with activities AI performs will be automated and thus experience job or wage loss, and that occupations with activities AI assists with will be augmented and raise wages." However, the study cautions against drawing direct conclusions about job displacement based solely on AI applicability scores. Microsoft claims that the study's data "do not include the downstream business impacts of new technology, which are very hard to predict and often counterintuitive." Microsoft's stance suggests an effort to temper concerns about the potential negative consequences of AI adoption. The company acknowledges the disruptive potential of AI but emphasizes the importance of considering a broader range of factors beyond mere technological capability. This perspective aligns with Microsoft's role as a major developer and proponent of AI technologies. Despite Microsoft's attempts to downplay the potential for job displacement, some observers note that layoffs have already occurred in industries where AI has made significant inroads, such as coding. These instances suggest that the impact of AI on employment may be more immediate and direct than Microsoft's report implies. The extent to which AI will ultimately reshape the labor market remains a subject of ongoing debate and observation. The study's findings highlight the diverse ways in which AI is likely to affect different sectors of the economy. While some jobs may be augmented and enhanced by AI, others may face increased competition from automation. The overall impact of AI on employment will depend on a complex interplay of technological advancements, economic conditions, and societal responses.

These 40 Jobs May Be Replaced by AI. These 40 Probably Won't

A new study measuring the use of generative artificial intelligence in different professions has just gone public, and its main message to people working in some fields is harsh. It suggests translators, historians, text writers, sales representatives, and customer service agents might want to consider new careers as pile driver or dredge operators, railroad track layers, hardwood floor sanders, or maids -- if, that is, they want to lower the threat of AI apps pushing them out of their current jobs. Why should anyone heed yet another of the myriad, sometimes conflicting reports in AI's potential impacts on jobs? Because the researchers behind the new findings really know what they're talking about. They all work for tech giant Microsoft, which is developing Copilot and related AI apps examined in the study. And those tools, the authors say, risk putting ticket agents and telemarketers out of work far sooner than orderlies and paving equipment operators. The Microsoft study comes as debate continues raging about the employment threats AI may pose to millions of people in clerical, administrative, communications, marketing, and other jobs. Executives of several tech companies, including AI developer Anthropic's CEO Dario Amodei, have alternatively cheered or warned about bots automating a wide range of work tasks, potentially eliminating up to half of all white-collar and entry level jobs in the process. Other business leaders, notably serial entrepreneur Mark Cuban, believe the tech will generate even more new positions than it erases by assuming a lot of repetitive drudge work. Microsoft's new research doesn't offer an opinion on the quantitative consequences on employment AI will ultimately have. But it does provide clear indication of which 40 jobs are already using apps most frequently -- and the contrasting 40 professions reflecting the tech's lowest levels of penetration. The full text of their findings, as well as the two rankings are available here. The results were obtained by analyzing 200,000 "conversations between users and Microsoft Bing Copilot." Researchers then matched those with "measurements of task success and scope of impact, (to) compute an AI applicability score for each occupation." The jobs with the highest use rates tended to be office positions or other work communicating data or thoughts for specific business purposes. "We find the highest AI applicability scores for knowledge work occupation groups such as computer and mathematical, and office and administrative support, as well as occupations such as sales whose work activities involve providing and communicating information," the study said. "Additionally, we characterize the types of work activities performed most successfully, how wage and education correlate with AI applicability, and how real-world usage compares to predictions of occupational AI impact." The upshot of that is data showing the work of ticketing agents, proofreaders, and PR specialists is already being automated at far higher levels than labor provided by house painters and plasterers, embalmers, ship engineers, and phlebotomists -- the technicians who draw blood for medical tests. But despite the study establishing a de facto ranking of the jobs threatened the most -- and least -- by AI, its authors ultimately waffled a bit on just how big the tech's impact on overall employment and workplace stability might be. That's probably not surprising, given they all work for the same Microsoft employer whose business future will largely depend on successfully developing and selling those work-automating apps to other companies. And some of the study's disclaimers suggest underlining AI's potential for possibly eviscerating current employee counts wasn't considered the best messaging for broadening the appeal of apps to prospective customers. "It is tempting to conclude that occupations with high overlap will experience job loss," they wrote in one of those hedges on AI's likely impact on employment. "This would be a mistake, as our data do not include the downstream business impacts of new technology, which are very hard to predict." On the one hand, authors do specify that AI tools are being used most often for communications tasks like language interpretation, emailing, or composing marketing materials. But on the other, they hasten to add it isn't clear apps are also being asked to assume the complete array of tasks those workers perform on the job -- or whether they'd even be capable of doing that. The researchers similarly note the different objectives employees studied had in using bots. Some of those workers asked apps to entirely handle and complete certain job tasks. But in many other cases, people queried AI assistants about the most effective ways to fulfill work duties themselves, retaining their own value to employers. Meantime, the study's authors also seem to balance between the higher productivity objectives -- and potentially decreased labor costs -- that some employers hope AI will provide, and employees' contrasting fears about their job security. Those diverging focuses, the authors say, won't generate zero-sum results many warn -- at least not necessarily. "For example, if AI makes software developers 50 percent more productive, companies could raise their ambitions and hire more developers as they are now getting more output per developer, or hire fewer developers because they can get the same amount done with fewer of them," it said. "Our data is only about AI usage and we have no data on the downstream impacts of that usage, so we only weigh in on the automation vs. augmentation question by separately measuring the tasks that AI performs and assists." But the study also makes it clear that the jobs least likely to be disrupted initially by increased or dominant use of AI are those involving some mixture of manual activity, use of machines, and interaction with people. That combination leaves nursing assistants, hazardous waste removers, car windshield installers, and medical equipment preparers among the professions with the lowest level of app penetration. But even there, the authors create some wiggle room for eventual employment outcomes. They noted their research is based on use of AI that Microsoft developed from large language models (LLMs). More focused apps tailored to individual professions -- possibly paired with robotic machines -- might still leave many manual jobs vulnerable to the tech's influence in the future. "Note that our measurement is purely about LLMs," the authors note. "(O)ther applications of AI could certainly affect occupations involving operating and monitoring machinery, such as truck driving." Meaning, any historians or brokerage clerks feeling fearful about their work after readying the study might want to rethink any plans about rushing into careers as a roustabout or packaging machine operator. Because those professions, too, may come under the growing influence of specialized AI apps in the not too distant future. The final deadline for the 2025 Inc. Power Partner Awards is Friday, August 8, at 11:59 p.m. PT. Apply now.

Here Are the 10 Jobs AI Is Most Likely to Automate, According to a Microsoft Study

AI has a high chance of replacing many professions, according to a new Microsoft report. Microsoft researchers analyzed an anonymous dataset consisting of 200,000 conversations between U.S. users and its Copilot chatbot during nine months of last year and published the resulting study last week. The report found that the jobs with the highest chance of being replaced by AI were interpreters and translators. AI has been found to work well for translating, and there are many applications currently on the market, including popular options from Google (can create translated AI voiceovers) and Amazon (translates 164 languages in real time). Related: AI Is Going to 'Replace Everybody' in Several Fields, According to the 'Godfather of AI.' Here's Who He Says Should Be 'Terrified.' The next most likely to be replaced by AI was a historian. The researchers noted that gathering information, including about history, was one of the most successfully completed tasks by AI. Copilot users tasked the chatbot with prompts about researching historical or social issues and examining materials for accuracy. Also on the list were CNC (Computer Numerical Control) programmers, who create and develop the code that tells CNC machines to cut, drill, or mill materials. AI is taking over CNC programming by automating the process and making it more efficient with faster production times and reduced waste. Meanwhile, the study also identified where AI is barely being used. Two professions that fell under this category were nursing assistants and massage therapists, which made it on the list because they require working with people in person. Other professions were AI-proof because they required operating or monitoring machinery, like truck and tractor operators, or manual labor, like dishwashers and roofers. Related: Here Are the 10 Highest-Paying Jobs with the Lowest Risk of Being Replaced By AI: 'Safest Jobs Right Now' Copilot allows users to provide thumbs-up and thumbs-down feedback for each of its responses. Based on this feedback, the researchers calculated an AI applicability score, which measured how well different work activities are performed or supported by AI. The more thumbs-up feedback a response receives, the higher the user satisfaction and the greater the likelihood that AI could take over that task. The sourced employment numbers are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Here's a list of the top 10 professions most likely to be impacted by AI, based on the overlap between their duties and what AI can currently do.

Microsoft reveals 40 jobs AI is coming for, and 40 it can't touch yet - is yours on the list?

Microsoft study on AI and jobs reveals a major shift in how chatbots like Copilot are impacting the workplace. Based on over 200,000 Copilot interactions, the study identifies 40 jobs most affected by AI -- like writers, translators, and customer service roles -- and those least impacted, such as housekeepers and roofers. Instead of predicting job losses, Microsoft shows where AI tools are already being used to support daily tasks. This real-world data helps professionals understand which careers are changing fast and how to adapt.

Microsoft study on AI's effect on jobs has revealed occupations that won't be affected and you would be surprised to see the list

Microsoft Study AI Jobs: Microsoft Research reveals jobs facing AI disruption. The study, based on user interactions, highlights roles in language and content creation as highly impacted. Interpreters, writers, and customer service roles are at high risk. Manual and real-time jobs like surgeons and mechanics are less affected. AI will assist, not replace, workers. A new study by Microsoft Research has identified which occupations are most likely to be affected by artificial intelligence (AI), and which ones are expected to remain largely unaffected. The study, based on over 2,00,000 user interactions with Microsoft Bing Copilot, highlights how generative AI may influence different job roles in the coming years. The research, titled "Working with AI: Measuring the Occupational Implications of Generative AI," categorises 40 jobs that have the highest potential for AI involvement. These are mainly roles that rely heavily on language, content creation, communication, or repetitive information-related tasks. On the other hand, the study also lists 40 jobs that are expected to remain resilient due to their physical, manual, or real-time nature. The study states that roles with the highest "AI applicability scores" are those where AI can perform or assist with most of the tasks. These include: All of these roles involve tasks such as writing, editing, gathering information, and communicating -- areas where generative AI tools like chatbots can play a significant role. Microsoft Research clarified that the findings do not indicate mass job losses. Instead, the study shows how AI is likely to assist workers in improving efficiency and taking on more advanced tasks. "No profession is completely performed by AI in the present situation," the study noted. "Even in high-impact sectors, human judgment, creativity, and ethical oversight remain critical." The report provides a roadmap for how employers, workers, and policymakers can prepare for shifts in the workplace due to AI integration.