7 Jobs That Will Be Replaced by AI

4 min readOct 21, 2022

Any news article, book, or film that predicts the world’s future, a utopian or dystopian one, always has one thing in common — the dominance of technology. Now more than ever, that future seems real and possible with the rise of artificial intelligence.
On my podcast Figuring Out, I spoke to Srikanth Velamakanni, the founder of Fractal Analytics, a leading player in the artificial intelligence and transformative enterprise decision-making space. We discussed all things tech and more. As anticipated, AI (artificial intelligence) dominated the conversation to a large extent, which got me thinking about its impact on the employment market.
So, here is my take on 7 jobs that will be replaced by artificial intelligence sooner or later.

1. Customer service jobs

Whether resolving a customer’s query or handling a complaint, a customer support team is integral to any business. Convenient and powerful AI paired with a technologically astute population rapidly diminishes the need for a human assistant on the other end of the helpline, giving rise to chatbots. The pandemic accelerated the entire process when social distancing became a norm and companies were forced to rely solely on automation.

2. Bookkeeping and data entry jobs

The crucial task of organising the financial data of your firm will be forever necessary. But hiring a separate person to do the job seems more expensive when there are many softwares available that can tackle this job meticulously. Microsoft Office, QuickBooks, and FreshBooks are a few of the popular software that gets the job done efficiently and at a quicker pace without any error. The data entry and bookkeeping job market has already started shrinking and will likely scale down more in the upcoming years.

3. Telemarketing jobs

This is another sector where AI has already started taking over jobs. I am sure most of you have already received a call where you heard an automated voice asking you to activate some kind of value-added service to your phone. Most giant corporations are swiftly adapting this practice to acquire new clients. Naturally, a computerized system can make more calls than any employee, making artificially intelligent telemarketers pretty popular.

4. Proofreading jobs

While writing or editing can be a little too complex for AI at the moment, proofreading seems fairly simple. From the basic spellcheck feature that most writing software offer to more advanced features from applications like Grammarly, ProWritingAid, or Hemingway have made proofreading easier than ever. They can quickly check and correct spelling, punctuation, spacing, and grammatical errors. Some applications even offer services to detect plagiarism, eliminating the need for recruiting a dedicated proofreader for the task.

5. Retail industry jobs

The shopping pattern of the world has already changed during the pandemic. More people are buying things online than from a physical store. It has already brought doom to many giant retailers, and the trend does not seem to be dying out. Even the ones still in business are embracing the help of AI to innovate their stores. Most shops will incorporate self-checkout and virtual shopping assistants while trying to lower their expenditure.

6. Courier jobs

As retail goes online and we get more and more things delivered to our doorstep, the need for courier services is presumed to be in demand. However, instead of relying on humans, the work will soon be accomplished with AI’s help. Drones seem to be the future of delivery services. With online giants already experimenting with drones for delivering in some areas, we can expect one to knock on our door carrying the grocery.

7. Receptionist jobs

Many AI-embedded software and systems can efficiently handle the core tasks of a receptionist. From answering calls, scheduling appointments, and maintaining data to redirecting customers to the relevant department, the automated systems execute the responsibilities of a traditional employee without any hiccup. Virtual assistants like Greetly or Yodel have recently become quite sought after. It will not be long before we go to a company and are greeted by a machine.

Although AI is going to create a significant dent in the job market, certain jobs will remain exclusive to us humans. Our cognitive thinking, empathy, interpersonal skills, and emotional intelligence can’t be replaced. Event Planners, Chief Executives, Human Resources Managers, and Graphic Designers are some of the futureproof jobs at the moment.

Are you excited to see the changes AI brings or upset? Let me know in the comments. And listen to my podcast here for more such fascinating content.