These are the three jobs that Artificial Intelligence cannot replace, according to specialists

The concept and ambition of science and robotics to develop smarter machines than man is more than 70 years old. But it is now, in this century, that we are witnessing advances in artificial intelligence (AI) that we had only seen in the movies.

Since the launch of Chat GPT in 2022, everything seemed to accelerate and every week news arrives about new AI achievements: predict earthquakes, predicts diseases, creates graphic pieces, writes books, designs buildings.

And also, it threatens humanity. If AI can perform tasks the same or better than flesh-and-blood beings, many jobs are in danger.

Fortunately, things do not always happen like this, and technological advances do not always eliminate the presence of the human being in – at least – some part of the process or task.

It is true that there are jobs that are seriously threatened. But, according to the specialists, there are others who can be calm, at least for now. What are they?

Human, to human: skills that AI still can’t replace

In dialogue with the BBC, Martin Ford, author of “Rule of the Robots: How Artificial Intelligence Will Transform Everything,” maintains that there are things that AI still cannot do: “I think that in general there are three categories that will be relatively protected in the foreseeable future.”

The first category has to do with creativity. According to Ford, those jobs in which “you are really generating new ideas and building something new. In science, medicine and law… people whose job is to devise a new legal or business strategy. I think there will still be a place for human beings there.”

The second category of “safe” jobs are those that require solid interpersonal skills. Within this type of competence, Ford includes, for example, nurses, business consultants and investigative journalists.

Jobs in which a very deep knowledge of the people is needed. I think it will be a long time before the AI has the ability to interact in such a way that it really builds relationships, the specialist clarifies.

The third category relates to skills to solve, in practice, unpredictable or extremely changing problems or situations. Ford refers to the trades: electricians, plumbers, gas makers, welders and other similar jobs.

Although it is true that there are already domestic vacuum cleaners that handle themselves, a robot is still far away from being so intelligent and skilled as to perform the electrical installation of a home.

“They are jobs that really require a lot of mobility, dexterity and ability to solve problems in unpredictable environments. This is the kind of job in which you face a new situation all the time,” he adds. “They are probably the most difficult to automate.”

Artificial versus emotional: the intelligence that will protect humans

In tune with Ford and also in dialogue with the BBC, Joanne Song McLaughlin, associate professor of labor economics at the University of Buffalo, USA, thinks that most jobs will be affected in some way by the outbreak of AI.

However, he is optimistic: “In many cases, there is no immediate threat to jobs,” he says, “but the tasks will change.”

According to the specialist, humans should be oriented to develop interpersonal skills. “AI will detect cancers much better than humans. I suppose that doctors will use that new technology in the future. But I don’t think the whole role of the doctor will be replaced,” says McLaughlin, who believes that most patients will want a flesh-and-blood doctor to report and advise on such a sensitive issue.

It is difficult to predict how far and when AI will affect each type of job. But, certainly, it is a problematic issue. “It’s not just that this happens to individuals, but it could be quite systemic,” Ford says.

“It could happen to many people, potentially quite suddenly, potentially to all of them at the same time. And that has implications not only for those individuals, but for the entire economy.”

At the moment, merits such as education or experience do not seem to be a guarantee in the face of the advancement of AI. “We could think that a person with an administrative job occupies a higher place in the structure than someone who makes a living driving a car,” Ford says.

But he clarifies: “The future of the administrative employee is more threatened than that of the Uber driver, because we still do not have autonomous cars, but the AI can certainly write reports. In many cases, more educated workers will be more threatened than less educated workers. Think of the person who works cleaning hotel rooms: it is very difficult to automate this work,” the author concludes.