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Will AI Take Your Job? Here’s What Microsoft’s Latest Study Says

Let’s be honest—AI is everywhere these days. It’s writing emails, generating art, and even pretending to be your therapist. But the big question on everyone’s mind is: Will it take my job?

Microsoft just dropped a study called “Working with AI: Measuring the Occupational Implications of Generative AI,” and it’s got some surprising answers. Some jobs are sitting ducks for automation, while others? Well, AI isn’t coming for them anytime soon.

Top 40 occupations with highest AI applicability score (most at risk, sorted alphabetically):

• Advertising Sales Agents

• Archivists
• Broadcast Announcers and Radio DJs
• Brokerage Clerks
• Business Teachers, Postsecondary
• CNC Tool Programmers
• Concierges
• Counter and Rental Clerks
• Customer Service Representatives
• Data Scientists
• Demonstrators and Product Promoters
• Economics Teachers, Postsecondary
• Editors
• Farm and Home Management Educators
• Geographers
• Historians
• Hosts and Hostesses
• Interpreters and Translators
• Library Science Teachers, Postsecondary
• Management Analysts
• Market Research Analysts
• Mathematicians
• Models
• New Accounts Clerks
• News Analysts, Reporters, Journalists
• Passenger Attendants
• Personal Financial Advisors
• Political Scientists
• Proofreaders and Copy Markers
• Public Relations Specialists
• Public Safety Telecommunicators
• Sales Representatives of Services
• Statistical Assistants
• Switchboard Operators
• Technical Writers
• Telemarketers
• Telephone Operators
• Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks
• Web Developers
• Writers and Authors

Bottom 40 occupations with lowest AI applicability score (least at risk, sorted alphabetically):

• Automotive Glass Installers and Repairers
• Bridge and Lock Tenders (workers who operate and maintain bridges and locks)
• Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers
• Dishwashers
• Dredge Operators (removing sand from the bottom of waterways)
• Embalmers
• Floor Sanders and Finishers
• Foundry Mold and Coremakers
• Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators
• Hazardous Materials Removal Workers
• Helpers–Painters, Plasterers,…
• Helpers–Production Workers
• Helpers–Roofers
• Highway Maintenance Workers
• Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators
• Logging Equipment Operators
• Machine Feeders and Offbearers (workers who load materials into or remove from machinery)
• Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners
• Massage Therapists
• Medical Equipment Preparers
• Motorboat Operators
• Nursing Assistants
• Ophthalmic Medical Technicians
• Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
• Orderlies (healthcare support workers)
• Packaging and Filling Machine
• Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment
• Phlebotomists (a medical professional who is trained to perform blood draws)
• Pile Driver Operators
• Plant and System Operators, All Other
• Prosthodontists (dental specialists focused on the restoration and replacement of teeth)
• Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators
• Roofers
• Roustabouts, Oil and Gas (workers who perform general labor on drilling rigs)
• Ship Engineers
• Supervisors of Firefighters
• Surgical Assistants
• Tire Builders
• Tire Repairers and Changers
• Water Treatment Plant and System Operators

The Jobs AI Might Steal (Sorry)

First, the bad news. If your job involves a lot of repetition, data crunching, or creative output (yes, even writers and artists aren’t safe), you might want to pay attention. Here’s a snapshot of the most at-risk roles:

• Customer Service Reps (Chatbots are getting scarily good.)
• Writers & Editors (AI won’t replace all of us, but it’s definitely knocking.)
• Telemarketers (Robocalls were just the beginning.)
• Web Developers (Turns out, AI can code too.)
• Data Scientists (Ironically, even the folks building AI aren’t immune.)

The common thread? These jobs rely on tasks AI excels at—processing language, analyzing patterns, or generating content.

The Jobs AI Probably Won’t Touch (Yet)

Now, the good news. If your job involves physical skills, complex human interaction, or unpredictable environments, you’re likely safe. Here’s who’s breathing easy:

• Massage Therapists (Robots can’t replicate human touch.)
• Plumbers & Roofers (Good luck teaching AI to fix a leak at 2 AM.)
• Surgeons (Precision matters, but so does judgment.)
• Hazardous Materials Workers (No robot wants your job.)
• Dishwashers (Turns out, even automation has limits.)

The takeaway? Jobs requiring adaptability, empathy, or hands-on problem-solving are sticking around.

So, What Now?

If you’re in the “at-risk” category, don’t panic. AI is a tool, not a replacement—for now. The key is adapting. Learn to work with AI instead of against it. (Hint: The best writers, designers, and analysts will be the ones who use AI to enhance their work, not replace it.)

And if you’re in a “safe” job? Enjoy the job security—but don’t get too comfortable. AI’s always learning.

Want to dive deeper? Check out Microsoft’s full study here.

What do you think? Is your job on the list?