Although Artificial Intelligence (AI) is supposed to help professionals streamline parts of their jobs, a quarter of workers are concerned this technology is making their jobs obsolete. Of course, this concern is higher among specific industries, such as advertising and marketing and business support and logistics.
As AI continues to advance and make its way through industries, this emerging technology is disrupting jobs for better or for worse. A recent Workforce Survey reports that 43% of workers think it’s likely their jobs will change significantly in the next five years due to AI disruption.
Now more than ever, you may be wondering what AI-proof jobs currently exist. When thinking of career paths safe from AI, it’s best to think of careers where an algorithm can’t fully replicate human tasks. Two industries where these roles exist include healthcare and Information Technology (IT).
Jobs That Are Safe From AI: Healthcare
AI cannot replace the empathy, critical thinking, work ethic, and positive attitude healthcare professionals provide to patients daily. The demand for allied health professionals who have the required skills to do their jobs successfully is growing.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), a staggering 1.8 million healthcare openings are projected for each year through 2032 due to employment growth and the need to replace employees who leave the industry. Below are three examples of healthcare careers safe from AI.
Medical Assistant
A certified medical assistant is a professional who is a valuable part of the healthcare team, providing patient care under the supervision of a physician and other licensed healthcare providers. While AI can be used as a tool to analyze medical data it cannot replace the critical need for human care in this role.
Certified medical assistants are multi-skilled healthcare professionals who commonly build their skills through certification or on-the-job training. The tasks of a medical assistant vary from one practice to the next and may be limited by state laws.
Common administrative duties may include billing, greeting patients, answering phone calls, scheduling appointments, and updating and filing patient medical records. Clinical duties AI isn’t capable of doing may include drawing blood, taking medical histories, taking electrocardiograms, explaining treatment procedures to patients, and collecting and preparing laboratory specimens.
Physical Therapy Aide
A physical therapy aide provides vital direct support to physical therapists as they help their patients recover movement and manage their pain after an injury or illness. Physical therapy aides support therapists by:
- sanitizing equipment
- setting up and cleaning treatment areas
- performing documentation and clerical work
- offering general assistance to patients under the supervision of the physical therapist
They also connect with patients and help them move into and out of the treatment area.
Physical therapy aides play a crucial role in a successful physical therapy office and benefit from an AI-proof career as well.
Nursing
As the nursing shortage continues and technology advances, the need for continued healthcare education is increasing. While AI can help registered nurses automate certain duties like clinical documentation and administrative tasks, it will not replace nursing professionals in the foreseeable future.
Nursing requires human skills such as interacting with patients, listening, empathy, and communication, and depends on intuition to monitor symptoms or changes in health. This AI-proof career path is ideal for individuals who want to make a difference in patients’ lives.
Jobs That Are Safe From AI: IT
Using AI without human workers is a bad idea. Therefore, even if AI eliminates some jobs, it will also create more jobs to help industries further develop and integrate their workforce with AI. These AI-specific roles include AI chatbot developers, AI ethicists, deep learning engineers, and more.
Many existing IT careers require top skills AI can’t replicate such as critical thinking, problem-solving, creative thinking, and strategizing. According to the BLS, computer and IT occupations will have 377,500 openings each year through 2032 due to employment growth and the need to replace professionals leaving the industry. Below are three examples of IT careers that may integrate AI as a tool, but can’t be fully replaced by AI.
Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity specialists are needed to develop and implement robust security measures as the threat landscape evolves. They protect systems, networks, and data from cyber threats that require constant monitoring, analysis, and adaptation. Human experts handle these tasks better than AI could.
Although employment is growing in the global cybersecurity workforce, research shows positions aren’t being filled quickly enough. There remains a need for 3.4 million cybersecurity professionals who can troubleshoot information system threats, run vulnerability tests, reverse engineer malware, review hundreds of lines of firewall configuration, and create scripts in many languages to combat vulnerability—something AI can’t do.
IT Network Specialist
An IT network specialist uses their technical skills to analyze, troubleshoot, and evaluate computer network problems. AI automates network management to some extent but can’t replace humans’ problem-solving abilities and hands-on expertise.
Software Developers
Software development requires creativity, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills. Writing complex algorithms, designing software architectures, and creating innovative applications are tasks that require human expertise and ingenuity.
The Future Workforce is Human With AI Integration
As we picture the future workforce in which AI helps organizations streamline tasks and free up time for more difficult endeavors, what is an employer to do with employees not trained in AI? At the heart of AI is foundational tech skills.
Rather than dealing with the costly act of letting employees go to hire new ones, it’s best to focus on upskilling and reskilling your workforce.
Presenting upskilling and reskilling opportunities to your workforce provides organizations with benefits such as:
- Cost savings
- Data-driven decision making
- Employee growth and engagement
- Increased morale and performance
Interested in building your AI-enabled workforce of the future? Contact us to tailor your healthcare and tech training needs and prepare your organization for the future of work.
