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As technology advances, the jobs previously thought to have been low risk from automation and generative AI are now the most exposed according to a new report.
The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, (OECD) which works with over 100 countries to act as a global policy forum, has released a study looking at the geography of generative AI.
Within the findings, it suggests “Generative AI has the potential to alter a significantly higher share of jobs in metropolitan regions” while technology-led automation has particularly affected non-metropolitan and manufacturing areas.
“Exposure to generative AI is greater for high-skilled workers and women, while previous technology-led automation mainly affected low-skilled workers and men.”
The actual job roles are not listed, but OECD explains that “Generative AI excels in doing cognitive, non-routine tasks, shifting regional labour market exposure, with regions concentrating industries such as education, ICT, or finance becoming most exposed to Generative AI.”
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The share of jobs at high risk of automation, including through forms of AI that predated generative AI, ranges from around 1% to 29% in OECD regions. While this sounds alarming, the organization states the “higher regional risks of automation did not lead to overall reductions in employment over the past decade.
“Instead, an increase of 10% in the share of jobs at high risk of automation is related to an increase of 5.6% in labor productivity over five years.
“Yet, in some regions, automation appears to have contributed directly to a loss of overall employment. Moreover, even though new job creation outweighed job losses in most regions, newly created jobs might not have benefitted those workers who lost their jobs due to automation.”
It’s thought the changing technology could actually help with labor shortages and boost sluggish productivity growth which the OECD describes as being a “much-needed catalyst for productivity in regional economies.”
“Providing access to AI tools and training can help regions to access untapped talent in low-skilled workers or workers with disabilities for whom many jobs were previously out of reach.”
These AI technologies are also said to be beneficial when leveraging to directly supplement workers where possible, as this could ease labor shortages and the effects of an aging workforce.
Image Credit: AI-generated via Ideogram
