The artificial intelligence revolution is upon us, new data suggests, with thousands of American workers being made redundant in the past year alone as employers begin to take advantage of the new ‘efficiencies’ created by the technology.
There have been at least 55,000 layoffs nationwide as a direct result of AI rollouts in 2025, according to consulting firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, with an economy-wide shrinking of the workforce that has seen 1.17 million jobs lost – the biggest cut since the Covid pandemic.
To calculate this, they analyzed 200,000 conversations held with their AI, Microsoft Autopilot, and mapped them to forms of work using data from the Department of Labor.
While their findings were bad news for creatives, there are many professions that are barely affected at all.
Jobs we never expected to be automated are potentially under threat in the AI revolution (Liu Zhankun/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images)
The tech giant reflected on what its research meant for employment, saying: “We found that AI is most useful for tasks related to knowledge work and communication, particularly tasks such as writing, gathering information, and learning.
“Those in occupations with these tasks may benefit by considering how AI can be used as a tool to help improve their workflows.
“On the flip side, it’s not surprising that physical tasks like performing surgeries or moving objects had less direct AI chatbot applicability.”
Below are the five occupations that Microsoft’s analysis suggests have been least affected by the AI revolution, and what this might mean for the world of work to come.
Phlebotomists
Would you trust a robot to put a needle in your vein and draw blood? Would you let it try again if it missed the first time?
Even AI’s true believers might hesitate before allowing a machine to perform the delicate and difficult work of extracting blood for a medical test, with Microsoft finding that phlebotomy was the least affected by the technological change.
Previous efforts to automate blood collection have not proved popular (SSPL/Getty Images)
Nursing Assistants
Another essential part of this style of close medical care is empathy.
Just as you would want a nurse taking your blood to treat you with kindness if you flinch, other healthcare assistants are also hard to replace due to the human sensitivity required in these roles.
Not only do these jobs require physical input and real-world problem-solving skills, but the ability for a carer to build a rapport with a patient is a considerably harder task for a computer.
Hazardous Materials Removal Workers
Workers who respond to important real-world problems using specialist skills and equipment, especially those with a safety liability like removing hazardous waste, were also found to be fairly safe from being made redundant by AI.
While an AI could tell you all about how to dispose of dangerous pesticides and industrial solvents safely, it can’t actually do anything to remove them from your environment. Even more importantly, it can’t be held responsible if it is not done correctly.
Painters are pretty safe from being replaced (AFP via Getty Images)
Skilled manual labor
Jobs that require a bit of a human touch and simple manual dexterity were deemed among the safest career paths to pursue in the AI future, with skilled manual labor dominating Microsoft’s list.
It showed that workers with degrees and advanced qualifications, especially those in entry-level positions, are among the most at risk in the future job market. So marketers and, sadly, journalists might want to learn how to put up some drywall.
Embalmers
Funeral home employees need an excess of kindness and empathy, as they are often dealing with family members and loved ones at a particularly dark moment in their lives and asking difficult questions.
Not only do embalmers require specialist training, equipment, and knowledge to perform their work, but each body presents unique challenges that only years of experience and fine motor dexterity can address.
Most importantly, giving the body of your loved one to another person requires a great deal of trust that they will treat them with care and attention.
Full list of AI-secure jobs
- Phlebotomists
- Nursing Assistants
- Hazardous Materials Removal Workers
- Helpers—Painters, Plasterers, etc.
- Embalmers
- Plant and System Operators All Other
- Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
- Automotive Glass Installers and Repairers
- Ship Engineers
- Tire Repairers and Changers
- Prosthodontists
- Helpers—Production Workers
- Highway Maintenance Workers
- Medical Equipment Preparers
- Packaging and Filling Machine Operators
- Machine Feeders and Offbearers
- Dishwashers
- Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers
- Supervisors of Firefighters
- Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators
- Ophthalmic Medical Technicians
- Massage Therapists
- Surgical Assistants
- Tire Builders
- Helpers—Roofers
- Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators
- Roofers
- Roustabouts Oil and Gas
- Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners
- Paving Surfacing and Tamping Equipment Operators
- Logging Equipment Operators
- Motorboat Operators
- Orderlies
- Floor Sanders and Finishers
- Pile Driver Operators
- Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators
- Foundry Mold and Coremakers
- Water Treatment Plant and System Operators
- Bridge and Lock Tenders
- Dredge Operators
Featured Image Credit: Getty Images/VALENTIN FLAURAUD
Expert explains ‘only’ jobs that will be ‘safe’ from AI as study reveals the 44 jobs most likely to be replaced
These are the jobs ‘least likely’ to be replaced by AI, including one which may surprise you
As every day brings more news about the advancement of AI, to a decidedly mixed reception, many fear that their job will be replaced.
Its advocates trumpet AI as the future, opening new opportunities for maximizing productivity, or ‘reading’ 100 books a week by skimming an AI summary of War and Peace.
But critics have a lot of concerns about the technology, including its potential use to generate deepfake videos of people doing something they’ve never done, such as crimes or adult videos, the environmental impact, and ‘dead internet’ theory, where all engagement online is just AI talking to itself.
College professors are already expressing concern over the use of generative AI in assignments, pointing out that students actually doing the thinking is the important bit, not the finished product.
But there’s one thing which many people are worried about in the wider world.
Is AI coming for our jobs? (Malte Mueller/Getty)
This is, of course, the threat that AI is likely to pose to a lot of jobs in the not-too-distant future.
Whether it’s self-driving cars, large language models, and even medicine, there are a lot of jobs which are likely to be at risk from the technology.
While many are at risk, expert Robert Phelps has shared a few roles which might be less at risk from being taken over by AI, at least completely.
That said, Phelps did have one big caveat, saying: “It’s difficult to say exactly what jobs will be safe from AI forever, as there are so many that are becoming automated that might not have been predicted.”
So what are the jobs which may be less at risk than you might think?
One type is a job which requires empathy.
Many people turn to AI for basic tasks (alexsl/Getty)
Phelps said: “Whereas jobs in nursing and pharmacy could be at risk, mental health professionals and councillors need human connection, trust, and empathy that cannot be replaced by AI.”
You would think that nursing would also ideally require ‘human connection, trust, and empathy’. I, for one, am not sure I fancy being cannulated by a robot.
That’s not it, though, Phelps explained: “Emergency service workers such as paramedics and firefighters work in unpredictable environments, and their physical presence and judgement are needed.”
There’s one point that may surprise you as well, with Phelps saying: “It’s often thought that the creative industry, and roles in writing, design, and music, are at risk, but although AI can generate content, real creativity is truly necessary to create something original.”
Explaining the principle behind what jobs may be more at risk, he said: “AI can replace tasks, but it can’t really replace people. It can help with efficiency, and tedious and repetitive tasks, but this leaves you free to focus ‘soft skills’ such as creativity, communication, ethics, and critical thinking, and these soft skills will become more valuable than ever.”
Unfortunately, some jobs are at a higher risk, with 44 jobs being deemed as the most at risk of being replaced.
This was based on a paper released by OpenAI called ‘Measuring the performance of our models on real-world tasks’, which looked the ‘win-rate’ of AI vs humans on tasks and measured which jobs had the highest rate.
The results indicated that some jobs were at an especially high risk.
AI win rate on tasks vs. humans:
- Counter and rental clerks: 81%
- Sales managers: 79%
- Shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks: 76%
- Editors: 75%
- Software developers: 70%
- Private detectives and investigators: 70%
- Compliance officers: 69%
- First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers: 69%
- Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products: 68%
- General operations managers: 67%
- Medical and health services managers: 65%
- Buyers and purchasing agents: 64%
- Personal financial advisers: 64%
- Administrative services managers: 62%
- Customer service representatives: 59%
- First-line supervisors of retail sales workers: 59%
- First-line supervisors of production and operating workers: 58%
- Nurse practitioners: 56%
- Real estate brokers: 54%
- News analysts, reporters, and journalists: 53%
- Computer and information systems managers: 52%
- First-line supervisors of police and detectives: 49%
- Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products: 47%
- Lawyers: 46%
- Project management specialists: 42%
- Child, family, and school social workers: 42%
- Medical secretaries and administrative assistants: 42%
- Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents: 42%
- First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers: 41%
- Financial investment analysts: 41%
- Recreation workers: 37%
- Registered nurses: 37%
- Property, real estate, and community association managers: 34%
- Financial managers: 32%
- Producers and directors: 31%
- Audio and video technicians: 30%
- Concierges: 29%
- Order clerks: 28%
- Real estate sales agents: 27%
- Pharmacists: 26%
- Accountants and auditors: 24%
- Mechanical engineers: 23%
- Industrial engineers: 17%
- Film and video editors: 17%
Featured Image Credit: Getty Images/NurPhoto
