Microsoft just released a 41-page report detailing how AI will affect the workforce, including which occupations are most and least likely to be hurt or replaced by AI. The top ten occupations most at risk of AI replacement are as follows:
1. Interpreters and Translators
2. Historians
3. Passenger Attendants
4. Sales Representatives of Services
5. Writers and Authors
6. Customer Service Representatives
7. CNC Tool Programmers
8. Telephone Operators
9. Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks
10. Broadcast Announcers and Radio DJs
I am a writer/author, which means I’m totally hosed.
What occupations are likely not to be impacted by AI? Here are the top ten relatively safe professions:
1. Dredge Operators
2. Bridge and Lock Tenders
3. Water Treatment Plant and System Operators
4. Foundry Mold and Coremakers
5. Rail-Truck Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators
6. Pile Driver Operators
7. Floor Sanders and Finishers
8. Orderlies
9. Motorboat Operators
10. Logging Equipment Operators
So I probably ought to give up on the whole writing thing and embrace a new career as a dredge operator. I wonder if any of my existing skills are transferrable?
Here’s the entire study:
https://arxiv.org/pdf/2507.07935
