Nearly 8 million jobs in the UK could be lost to artificial intelligence (AI), leading to a “jobs apocalypse”, with women, younger workers and lower paid workers facing the most risk from increasing job automation, according to a report by The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR).
The IPPR thinktank states that entry-level, part-time, and administrative jobs are the most exposed to being replaced by AI in a “worst-case” scenario over the next three to five years.
The UK is at a pivotal moment, with many companies adopting generative AI technologies that can read and create text, data, and software code to automate tasks.
The first wave of AI adoption is threatening jobs already, but a second wave could lead to the automation of even more jobs due to rapid AI advancements.
According to the report, currently 11% of tasks done by workers are at risk, and this could increase to 59% in the second wave as AI technologies develop to handle more complex processes.
The second wave of AI adoption could impact non-routine tasks such as database creation, copywriting, and graphic design, affecting higher-earning jobs.
The IPPR said women are more likely to be affected as “they are more likely to work in the most exposed occupations, such as secretarial and administrative occupations”.
However, despite the fact the worst-case scenario could result in about 7.9 million jobs being displaced, the best-case scenario could see the workforce fully augmented with generative AI, no jobs losses and the economy experiencing 4% growth.
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