Top Careers That Are Safe From AI

With the rise of Artificial Intelligence and its expanding capacities, workers everywhere are asking themselves the same question: “Will my job be replaced by AI in a few years?” The reality is that some jobs have already started to be taken over by the robot invasion; in most fields that involve repetitive tasks like factory work, transportation, or even accounting, humans will soon be outpaced by AI. AI capabilities are even being used in mental health, a field that feels, perhaps above any other, like it would need human beings to function.

Luckily, there are some jobs that are less vulnerable to being replaced by the rapidly developing abilities of Artificial Intelligence. If you work in the following  AI-proof industries, you’re in luck.

Writers, Artists, and other Creators

Dr. Kai-Fu Lee, renowned computer scientist and AI expert, explains in Time magazine that AI “needs a goal to optimize”. It is unable to invent or create something from nothing – that, he says, is a skill that requires a human brain.

Scientists

We don’t tend to think of scientists as creative, but those who work in this field are safe for similar reasons as writers and artists – much of the time, they are inventing new thought and theory. Like Dr. Lee explains, any job that requires this type of creative, innovative thought should be safe from AI for now.

Teachers

It seems that e-courses and self-guided learning have risen in the education field, but human teachers are not at risk for being replaced by AI. This is because there is a degree to which teaching requires empathetic and compassionate engagement with students, Dr. Lee points out – a quality that AI is unable to replicate.

Executives and Diplomats

Any job that requires a level of complex, strategic thinking or planning that goes beyond the capacities of a computer are safe. This may include positions like chief executives, software developers, and law.

Psychiatrists, Therapists, and Social Workers

Yes, we mentioned that AI is being used in the mental health field. However, at the end of the day, mental health does need human beings to work. AI will never be able to provide the empathy and compassion that the mental health field does and will always require. The therapeutic relationship is a crucially important part of mental health work, and to build one is simply out of AI’s reach. 

We are faced with the reality that many jobs, particularly ones that involve repetitive tasks, will be replaced by AI in the coming future. However, Dr. Lee wants people to have hope that not all jobs are at risk. There are things that AI will never be able to do – namely, create or invent new things, think strategically, and respond with empathy and compassion. If you are deciding on which career field to enter, it would be wise to keep these three skills in mind.