A new Microsoft Research study, titled "Working with AI," provides a detailed analysis of how generative artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping the employment landscape. By analyzing 200,000 anonymized Bing Copilot conversations, researchers mapped AI's applicability across various professions, revealing which roles face the most significant disruption and which remain relatively secure.
The study finds that knowledge work, communication, and sales jobs are among the professions most likely to be affected by generative AI. To measure the impact, the researchers developed an "AI Applicability Score," which combines usage frequency, success rate, and how fully AI can handle each task. According to this metric, roles with the highest exposure include translators, writers, public relations specialists, and data scientists. Notably, language professionals like interpreters and translators face the most immediate disruption, with a 98% task compatibility.
Other professions listed as high-risk include historians, broadcast announcers, customer service representatives, and market research analysts. Microsoft's report lists 40 jobs that rely on writing, language, and routine tasks where AI is more transferable.
Conversely, the study also identifies many roles that are largely safe from current AI technology. These positions typically require physical presence, dexterity, and direct human interaction. The report lists 40 jobs where AI is less compatible, including nurses, long-haul truck drivers, roofers, laborers, and housekeepers. Professions such as caregivers, tradespeople, cleaners, and machine operators are at the lower end of the AI applicability scale.
The researchers caution against equating AI capability with automatic job loss, emphasizing that the technology more often acts as an assistant rather than a full replacement. The conversation is shifting from a fear of massive job loss to how AI can make work better and enhance human capabilities. However, the job market is changing. A Microsoft and LinkedIn survey found that 75% of knowledge workers are already using AI, and leaders are increasingly prioritizing hiring talent with AI skills. 71% of leaders said they would rather hire a less experienced candidate with strong AI skills, indicating a significant shift in hiring priorities.