Paralegals are legal professionals who assist lawyers with cases. Much of their work is administrative, but they may also gather facts, interview clients and witnesses, and put together information as well as make suggestions to the lawyer for whom they work. While it may seem like paralegals are invaluable jacks of all trades, a report from Goldman Sachs suggests they could one day be replaced by AI. Because the information, language, and data paralegals work with are pretty specific, it would be simple for AI to generate the same types of outcomes.
Lawyers can already purchase AI legal assistant software. But if you're a paralegal or thinking about coming one, don't give up yet. Many people in the industry believe the job still requires a human touch for some of the more subjective parts of the job. The AI aspect of it may even be of assistance to paralegals so they do a more thorough job on their work.
A company's customer service representatives are responsible for handling customer inquiries, solving customer problems, and providing customers with information, and they might do so online, in person, or over the phone. However, if you've ever worked in this field, you know that fielding these types of calls and messages can get repetitive. Most customers have the same basic questions.
That's where the potential of AI replacing customer service reps comes into play. When a customer does reach out to a company, particularly online, they'll receive an automated response to their question. You may have already encountered such a response yourself when contacting a big company about returning a product you purchased or wondering when your item was shipped.
In the future, you'll likely see much more of this. One study even suggests that by 2027, 25% of all companies will use AI or a chatbot to handle most of their customers' inquiries. When you do have a question that AI can't answer, you'll likely be forwarded to a human who can chat with you and clear it up.
Accountants handle the bookkeeping and finances for organizations and individuals, and many experts have reported that AI will have a huge impact on the finance industry in general. While accounting generally is thought of as a necessary job that will always be around, we might see changes to that in the future, thanks to AI's ability to handle data with amazing accuracy.
“Advanced algorithms are already being used to detect patterns in large sets of data, which can then be used to predict future outcomes and make better business decisions. Sectors such as finance, accounting, and insurance will certainly experience disruption from AI," Matt Ramirez, Founder of AI firm Rephrase Media, told Tech.co.
Accountants aren't the only professionals in the finance industry at risk of losing their jobs to AI. Stock traders may be even more at risk. These are the people who make investments and trades on behalf of a company or individual.
Experts say AI could have a huge impact on Wall Street in general, affecting nearly every related job in the industry, and some stock traders are already using programs, such as ChatGPT, to automate some tasks. This can take over some of the duties of an entry-level stock trader.
This one may be the most surprising job on the list. After all, teaching requires a human touch, right? As it turns out, that might not always be the case. Some people are in favor of bringing AI to education because they say it will make learning more accessible to more people as well as help the world handle a teaching shortage crisis.
Meanwhile, some say that AI will merely assist actual teachers in educating young minds because the job is not only about ensuring you understand knowledge. Teachers must build relationships with their students, get to know their learning styles, and help with personal development. In other words, some say AI can replace teachers while others argue that it's impossible, but don't be surprised to see more AI integrated into the education world either way.
If you've ever dreamed of reading a news story that is 100% unbiased, you might be excited to hear this one. Some experts expect AI to replace many journalists. One thought behind this is that AI software is better at finding and aggregating information, removing the potential for human error. It may also remove any potential bias in reporting. While it's unlikely that AI would take over completely for all journalists, those who don't want to lose their jobs should pay attention. German publisher Axel Springer suggested that "Only those who create the best original content will survive."
At the very least, AI could end up handling some of a journalist's more mundane tasks, but some improvements are necessary. In recent months, ChatGPT users have played around with the bot, asking it to write stories on newsworthy topics. While the results weren't awful, they aren't likely to replace the work of your favorite journalists and writers anytime soon.
According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the need for coders and computer programmers is expected to decline significantly over the next decades. This is due to the automation of many of the repetitive tasks that people in this field do each day. This certainly paves the way for AI to come in and make the job even less significant in years to come.
As it turns out, AI chatbots don't just write human language, such as a news story. They can write computer languages too. However, the experts say it'll be a few years before we see AI take over these roles if it does happen. The current crop of AI programs needs a bit of an upgrade. The computer language they do put out is not always 100% accurate, leaves room for security breaches, and even crosses into some copyright issues.
Some people may be happy to hear that AI could take over for telemarketers in the near future. According to experts, this is one job that is highly likely to see an 80% to 100% replacement over the next 20 years. The problem is that AI can't use the power of persuasion, at least not yet. AI bots aren't socially aware either, so they can't use skills like empathy to make a sale.
If you look at the telemarketing industry, robots are already doing some of the work that was once reserved for humans, much like they are for customer service reps. Many companies report that this type of automation is far more accurate, more productive, and cheaper than having humans make sales calls.
As previously stated, the finance industry is one place where AI is largely expected to take over in the coming years. Not only does that include accountants and stock traders, but it applies to more entry-level jobs, like bank tellers, as well. Big banks like Wells Fargo have already started replacing their tellers with robots and have plans to replace even more over the next decade.
Experts suspect that AI will take over most basic teller jobs at branches and call centers, leaving humans to handle issues like sales and consulting. Like telemarketing and customer service, bank tellers often do repetitive work that is automated easily.
Graphic designers may be another shocking entry on the list. After all, a lot of creativity goes into the job. But there are AI tools that can come up with images when given a little bit of information, like DALL-E. They may need some perfecting, but don't be surprised if some graphic design is outsourced to technology in the future.
It should be noted that the debate as to whether AI can replace a human graphic designer is a controversial one. While some experts say that with some improvement, AI software can come up with images that are just as good or better than a human's work, others say the AI software may help human graphic designers up their game and become even more creative.
The role of a market research analyst is to gather data, analyze it for trends and other metrics, and use it to create a marketing campaign that appeals to a company's target customer. The thing is that AI, even now, is very good at analyzing data and looking for trends. As with other jobs, it removes the potential for human error. Some say AI software makes even better predictions about what a company should do than humans almost every time.
If you work in this field, keep in mind that AI can't think critically. So, while it may end up taking on some of your daily tasks, there's a chance you'll still have a job — it might just look a little different. Many marketing research analysts may even find that using this type of tool improves the way they do their jobs.
If you've gone into a doctor's office recently, you may have seen a little computer, tablet, or other tech device sitting on the counter at the receptionist's desk. You may have even used it to check yourself in, enter your insurance information, or let the office know what your symptoms are. While this type of AI hasn't necessarily replaced many receptionists, there's the potential for it to happen in the future.
Right now, these devices help office workers cut back on paperwork and store their information in one central database, but they can do so much more. In the future, look for places, such as medical offices, to use AI to answer phones, greet customers, schedule appointments, collect information, and do anything else a receptionist might do for you.
Much like offices, you may have gone into a fast food restaurant recently and noticed that you placed your own order via a computer or some type of machine. This is a trend that is on the rise in restaurants like McDonald's and Carl Jr.'s and will likely be for some time to come. Some experts even claim that, eventually, AI robots will not just take the orders but prepare them and bring them out to you as well.
Others argue that while some fast food workers may lose their jobs to AI, these tools can be helpful to the workers who are there as well. While it's taking your order, the humans in the restaurant can focus on preparing the food instead of having to multitask so much. This could be good news for customers who claim fast food orders are never right, but it could be bad news for employees in the industry.
It's hard to imagine technology replacing a psychologist, therapist, or counselor, but some people say it's coming. There are already AI platforms that can have a human discussion with you and detect your feelings and any mental health issues you may have. It's also said to be a good tool for autistic children and people who need help with social interactions. It's quite popular in the United Kingdom.
But is it a good substitute for talking to a human therapist? Well, that depends. Like education, many experts say it can provide access to mental health care to people who may not have it. It's affordable, you can use it 24 hours a day, and it's suitable for practically anyone who needs to talk to someone.
But AI can't show empathy, and it can't take years of experience, both professional and personal, and use it to gain insight into how another person is feeling. There are also some concerns with ethics. With that in mind, these types of platforms may be great for minor situations, or they may even assist a therapist or counselor who works with you, but the need for human practitioners in the mental health field will still be there, at least for now.
If you're a sports fan, there's probably been a point in your life when you've been less than happy with a call a referee made against your favorite team. Well, listen up because some people say that AI robot referees are the way of the future, and they'll be far more accurate than their human counterparts. Not only do they remove the human error aspect of calling a game or match, but they may help prevent some of the fighting and arguing that may come with a bad call, which is good for everyone's mental health.
However, if you work as a referee, don't worry. At least not yet. Some say it will be at least another decade before we see these robot referees in any official capacity. Some say, as with many other jobs, a human touch is still needed. This type of AI could be used in collaboration with human referees to back up good calls and overturn bad ones.
Player's like the NBA's Kevin Durant have suggested that using robots could slow the games down to the point that they're unwatchable. How? Well, the AI bots would be sticklers for the rules, which means every minor offense would be called. Currently, even the best referees let minor infractions slide. Durant also likes the fact that players and coaches can argue with the referees and sometimes get a call overturned. That won't be possible with technology calling the shots.
