Artificial Intelligence is no longer limited to automating simple, repetitive tasks; it's now poised to impact a wide range of jobs across industries. According to a recent UNCTAD report, up to 40% of global jobs may be affected by AI—some roles will evolve, others may disappear altogether. The report also highlights a gender dimension, noting jobs typically held by women might be more vulnerable to automation.
McKinsey & Company projects that over the next five years, the pace at which industries adopt AI and automation tools will drive significant shifts in employment patterns. Here are eight job areas experts say are at risk:
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Hiring and HR processes: AI is increasingly used in recruitment—screening resumes, evaluating candidate profiles, and automating routine HR tasks. IBM has notably replaced hundreds of HR staff with AI agents to boost efficiency.
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Driving jobs: Autonomous vehicle technology could eventually replace roles like cab drivers and delivery workers. In India, widespread adoption faces infrastructural and regulatory challenges, with government opposition citing job loss concerns. But the technology is advancing rapidly worldwide.
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Entry-level IT and coding: AI-powered low-code/no-code platforms allow non-technical users to build software solutions, reducing demand for large IT teams handling routine coding or support. Companies like Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI are already automating entry-level coding tasks.
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Cybersecurity: AI is a double-edged sword—it helps defend networks but also empowers attackers to launch faster, more complex cyber threats.
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Basic sales functions: AI chatbots and virtual assistants handle customer interactions, follow-ups, and data analysis. For example, Klarna’s AI handled 2.3 million customer chats in 2024, equivalent to 700 full-time agents.
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Retail and hospitality: Automation via self-checkout kiosks, cleaning robots, and inventory management tools is cutting labor needs. Robot servers are already trialed in some Indian cities like Kolkata and Lucknow.
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Routine writing: AI tools now draft emails, reports, memos, and presentations, saving businesses time on day-to-day communication. CEOs have even used AI avatars to attend earnings calls.
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Marketing: AI accelerates content creation, personalized advertising, and customer data tracking, shrinking the need for large marketing teams.
Why you shouldn’t panic:
Despite these shifts, experts emphasize a balanced view. Goldman Sachs points out that while automation affects many job components, most roles will still require human judgment and input. Historically, technological progress has also created new jobs—economist David Autor’s research shows 60% of current jobs didn’t exist in the 1940s.
So rather than signaling the end of work, AI heralds a transformation in how work gets done—with humans and machines collaborating in new, smarter ways.
