A new report suggests that 70% of tasks in computer-based jobs could be transformed or replaced by AI, signalling a “seismic impact on society”.
Researchers from the Institute for Public Policy and Research (IRPP), who analysed over 22,000 everyday tasks at work, also called for more “democratic direction” from global leaders. They warned that current policy is too narrowly focused on accelerating AI adoption or ensuring its safety and instead should be setting “a clear direction for AI adoption”.
According to the report, most at risk of being reshaped by the emergence of AI are jobs such as project management, marketing and administrative support.
“Politics needs to catch up with the implications of powerful AI. Beyond just ensuring AI models are safe, we need to determine what goals we want to achieve,” stated Carsten Jung, Head of AI at the IRPP.
The intervention from the IRPP comes ahead of the Paris AI Action Summit next week where world leaders, industry experts and executives from major technology companies, will gather in France to consider the risks of AI.
At the forefront of concern for the IRPP is AI agents, which refers to a system or programme that is capable of autonomously performing tasks on behalf of a user or system.
In recent weeks, OpenAI has launched its first AI agent, Operator. Currently only available to ‘Pro’ users in the US, OpenAI says the agents can perform a variety of tasks including “filling out forms, ordering groceries and even creating memes”.
“The launch of ‘AI agents’ shows AI is different from past technologies. It is not merely a tool – it is an actor,” continued Jung.
“AI technology could have a seismic impact on the economy and society: it will transform jobs, destroy old ones, create new ones, trigger the development of new products and services and allow us to do things we could not do before. But given its immense potential for change, it is important to steer it towards helping us solve big societal problems.”
AI agents will also undoubtedly play a part in UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s plans to “unleash AI” across the UK in a bid to stimulate economic growth and save taxpayers money.
His ‘Plan for Change’ focuses on increasing AI infrastructure in the UK to support more AI development, as well as creating growth zones, advancing AI safety regulation, and using AI more within the civil service to cut spending and improve efficiency.
There has long been debate over the potential impact of AI on the global job market, with many warning of job losses caused by AI. As recently as Tuesday (5 January), Microsoft Founder Bill Gates conceded that we won’t need humans “for most things” as AI becomes more sophisticated during an appearance on ‘The Tonight Show’.
Despite this, he reassured viewers that changing times will “drive innovation forward” and help to close knowledge gaps, predicting that AI will, in the future, treat sick people and teach future generations.
In its latest report, researchers from the IRPP have urged governments to focus AI on solving big societal problems, citing gaps in automatically deploying new technology for preventative healthcare due to the need for more policy action.
“The promise of AI to tackle some of humanity’s biggest problems is tantalising – we all have a stake in directing and achieving it,” finished Jung.
