ChatGPT is an AI-powered language model designed for natural language processing. Since its release in November 2022, it has transformed the white collar workforce by streamlining tasks, reducing errors and improving communication with AI. Jobs are being created in response to this transformative technology, including AI jobs in data science, prompt engineering, and data architecture.
But the transition to generative AI has many worried about what jobs AI will replace—and many creatives are concerned that ChatGPT jobs like writing, editing and graphic design are putting their careers at risk. For professionals whose jobs might be on the line, that’s a scary prospect.
Although the quality of ChatGPT’s output is a subject of fierce debate, journalists and content creators can now create entire articles using generative AI. By feeding prompts into ChatGPT, Google Bard and other similar tools until they spit out articles that read as if they were crafted by human writers, companies can potentially save vast amounts of time and money.
Students can use the same tools to do homework, travel agents to create itineraries, lawyers to craft legal briefs, software developers to write code and chefs to develop recipes. The list goes on and on.
It’s no wonder that generative AI has taken boardrooms and classrooms by storm. With its power to do research, write emails and code web pages, there’s massive potential for disrupting the workplace and replacing human workers. But, exactly what jobs will AI replace?
Will AI Actually Replace Jobs?
In the early days of generative AI, many experts painted a bleak picture. “Generative AI could substitute up to one-fourth of current work,” Joseph Briggs and Devesh Kodnani, economists from Goldman Sachs, wrote in a March 2023 analysis of generative AI. Job losses were predicted to reach up to 300 million over time.
“The good news is that worker displacement from automation has historically been offset by creation of new jobs, and the emergence of new occupations following technological innovations accounts for the vast majority of long-run employment growth,” they also wrote.
It’s a familiar tale. Every time a new technology comes along to automate tasks, prognosticators predict the end of this industry or that occupation. Instead, what often happens is that the new technology makes work better and easier for humans. And even if the technology does eliminate some jobs, it just as often creates new ones.
What has happened in the first two years of the AI revolution? Generative AI has created hundreds of thousands of new jobs in AI. The technology is also serving as a force multiplier for creative jobs—augmenting existing workflows without reducing overall headcounts.
So far, it seems like the worst predictions were overblown. AI and other forms of automation have not made a major impact on the United States’ stubbornly low unemployment rate. Companies are still scrambling to hire experienced creatives and many of the executives we spoke with are increasing their creative headcounts despite this new technology.
While there are potential pitfalls and serious ethical concerns surrounding copyright, bias and capacity, the positive implications of generative AI are significant. In the right hands, it could enhance quality of work, improve job satisfaction and productivity, and even create new career opportunities for workers.
What Jobs Will AI Benefit Most?
When AI started making headlines in 2023, Big Tech companies were bullish on its potential. Tech leaders described AI as a way to eliminate monotonous tasks and free workers to focus on creative projects that require a human touch.
“We believe this next generation of AI will unlock a new wave of productivity growth: powerful copilots designed to remove the drudgery from our daily tasks and jobs, freeing us to rediscover the joy of creation,” Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said in a March 2023 presentation, during which Microsoft announced plans to launch a suite of AI-powered tools by the end of the year.
So far, this prediction has proved to be true. The Forecast spoke to several digital marketing agencies and in-house marketing departments that are using AI to increase output and efficiency in ChatGPT jobs, without reducing headcount.
Sorensen also says that the benefits of AI have been greater, and more wide-reaching, than he expected. “The more AI helps streamline the routine, the more our human teams are free to focus on bigger-picture thinking—the kind of creativity that AI can’t replicate.”
He also explained this unexpected benefit has resulted in a larger headcount and more opportunities for creative jobs in AI. “We’ve hired more creative professionals, not fewer, because they’re the ones driving the strategy that AI can’t touch.”
“In my opinion, the idea that AI is eliminating jobs is only half the story. Sure, it’s changing roles, but what people aren’t talking about enough is how it’s creating entirely new categories of jobs—roles like AI integration specialists, AI content curators, and even AI-human workflow designers.”
AI Is a Force Multiplier for STEM
This technology is creating many new jobs in AI and other traditional STEM fields. Philip Alves, Founder and CEO of DevSquad, told The Forecast: “When people talk about Generative AI, the conversation often centers around automation and job loss. But, in my experience the reality is more nuanced and exciting.”
“Generative AI isn’t just cutting roles—it’s fundamentally changing the nature of work and, in many cases, creating entirely new career paths,” he says. DevSquad has begun hiring in key ChatGPT jobs, like AI ethicists, personalization specialists, and automation strategists in large numbers.
These are new positions that didn’t exist five years ago but offer promising career paths for recent graduates and workers looking to upskill into new AI jobs. The continued expansion of generative AI promises to create more job openings in technical roles like machine learning engineering, data scientists, AI training and prompting, and AI Ethics.
AI is also blurring the lines between technical and creative work. Alves said “What’s really intriguing to me is how Generative AI is unlocking a new wave of hybrid roles that blend technical and creative skills.”
Prompt engineers are one of the most in-demand ChatGPT jobs that require a hybrid skill set. “These professionals understand both the creative vision and the technical know-how to fine-tune AI tools for specific outputs. It’s not just about being a coder or a creative anymore—it’s about being both,” remarked Alves.
Ben Stokes, a software developer, agrees. He told The Washington Post “Crafting prompts is hard—I think this is a human flaw—it’s often quite hard to find the right words to describe what you want.”
“In the same way software engineers are more valuable than the laptops they write on, people who write prompts well will have such leverage over the people that can’t. They’ll essentially have superpowers.”
Industrial Manufacturing Embraces AI Jobs
Generative AI is also transforming the industrial manufacturing industry for the better. Tony Chen, CEO of Srlon Food Container Technology, says that AI is increasing efficiency in the production process—allowing the company to re-invest the savings into new AI jobs.
“In contrast to common fears of job losses, we’ve discovered that Generative AI offers a powerful engine for job creation and amplifying productivity,” says Chen. Cutting-edge AI platforms have allowed Srlon to increase the impact of its research & development team, causing the company to onboard new AI specialists to manage these tools.
“Generative AI has enabled our design and production teams to quickly protype and optimize new container solutions, remarkably accelerating the product development lifecycle. As a result, we’ve expanded these teams, creating jobs to handle the increased throughput,” added Chen.
He also says that their customer service team is being supplemented, not replaced, by AI tools. Live agents are now reserved for complex interactions, with AI chatbots handling routine contacts. This saves the company money and increases job satisfaction metrics for employees.
What Jobs Will AI Benefit Most?
Many jobs, like customer service representatives and entry-level creatives, remain at risk of automation by AI. However, professionals who develop their AI skills will remain invaluable, whether they work in a technical or creative field.
The following fields are likely to see sustained employment growth over the next five years because of generative AI’s productivity enhancements.
STEM
Creative
This is an updated version of the article originally published on May 16, 2023.
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Jacob Gedetsis is a contributing writer. His work has appeared in The Kansas City Star, The Post Standard and The Plain Dealer, among others. Find him on Twitter at @JacobGedetsis.
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