AI's Impact on Jobs: A Call for Value Change Amidst Automation

Although methodologies and estimates vary, several international studies on the subject converge on the same conclusion: AI will profoundly transform the world of work and employment. GDA via AP Photo AI is automating our jobs – but values need to change if we are to be liberated by it Published: April 4, 2025 2.25pm BST Robert Muggah , Instituto Igarapé , Bruno Giussani , Swiss Center for Augmented Intelligence (SCAI) Authors Robert Muggah Richard von Weizsäcker Fellow na Bosch Academy e Co-fundador, Instituto Igarapé Bruno Giussani Advisor, Swiss Center for Augmented Intelligence (SCAI) Disclosure statement Dr. Robert Muggah is the co-founder of the Igarapé Institute, an independent think and do tank that develops research, solutions and partnerships to address global public, digital and climate security challenges. Dr. Muggah is also a principal of the SecDev Group, and an advisor to the United Nations, the IMF and the World Bank. An advisor to AI start-ups and a climate tech venture firms, Dr. Muggah has experience developing new technologies and testing AI systems for security and governance. He also coordinated a global task force on predictive analytics and AI in the Global South since in 2023. Bruno Giussani is Advisor at Swiss Center for Augmented Intelligence (SCAI). Partners The Conversation UK receives funding from these organisations View the full list Languages English Portuguese DOI https://doi.org/10.64628/ADE.fe6tge9gd https://theconversation.com/ai-is-automating-our-jobs-but-values-need-to-change-if-we-are-to-be-liberated-by-it-253806 https://theconversation.com/ai-is-automating-our-jobs-but-values-need-to-change-if-we-are-to-be-liberated-by-it-253806 Link copied Share article Share article Copy link Email Bluesky Facebook WhatsApp Messenger LinkedIn X (Twitter) Print article Artificial intelligence may be the most significant disruptor in the history of mankind. Google’s CEO Sundar Pichai famously described AI as “more profound than the invention of fire or electricity”. OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman claims it has the power to cure most diseases, solve climate change, provide personalized education to the world, and lead to other “astounding triumphs”. AI will undoubtedly help solve vast problems, while generating vast fortunes for technology companies and investors. However, the rapid spread of generative AI and machine learning will also automate vast swathes of the global workforce, eviscerating white-collar and blue-collar jobs alike. And while millions of new jobs will surely be created, it is not clear what happens when potentially billions more are lost. The Insights section is committed to high-quality longform journalism . Our editors work with academics from many different backgrounds who are tackling a wide range of societal and scientific challenges. Amid the breathless promises of productivity gains from AI, there are rising concerns that the political, social and economic fallout from mass labour displacement will deepen inequality, strain public safety nets, and contribute to social unrest. A 2023 survey in 31 countries found that over half of all respondents felt “nervous” about the impacts of AI on their daily lives and believed it will negatively impact their jobs. Concerns are also mounting about the ways in which AI is being weaponized and could hasten everything from geopolitical fragmentation to nuclear exchanges . While experts are sounding the alarm, it is increasingly clear that governments, businesses and societies are unprepared for the AI revolution. The coming AI upheaval The idea that machines would one day replace human labour is hardly new. It features in novels, films and countless economic reports stretching back over centuries. In 2013, Carl-Benedikt Frey and Michael Osborne of the University of Oxford attempted to quantify the human costs, estimating that “47% of total US employment is in the high risk category, meaning that associated occupations are potentially automatable”. Their study triggered a global debate about the far-reaching consequences of automation not just for manufacturing jobs, but also service and knowledge-based work. Fast forward to today, and AI capabilities are advancing faster than almost anyone expected. In November 2022, OpenAI launched ChatGPT, which dramatically accelerated the AI race. By 2023, Goldman Sachs projected that “roughly two-thirds of current jobs are exposed to some degree of AI automation” and that up to 300 million jobs worldwide could be displaced or significantly altered by AI. A more detailed McKinsey analysis estimated that “Gen AI and other technologies have the potential to automate work activities that absorb up to 70% of employees’ time today”. Brookings found that “more than 30% of all workers could see at least 50% of their occupation’s tasks disrupted by generative AI”. Although the methodologies and estimates differ, all of these studies point to a common outcome: AI will profoundly upset the world o