27% of high-risk jobs from the AI ​​revolution, says OECD

PARIS, July 11 (Reuters) – More than a quarter of OECD jobs rely on skills that can be easily automated in the coming artificial intelligence revolution, and workers fear they could lose their jobs to AI, the OECD said on Tuesday.

The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is a bloc of 38 members, spanning mostly wealthy nations, but also some emerging economies such as Mexico and Estonia.

There is little evidence that the rise of AI is having a significant impact on jobs so far, but that may be because the revolution is in its early stages, the OECD said.

Jobs at the highest risk of being automated make up 27% of the workforce on average across OECD countries, with Eastern European countries most at risk, the Paris-based organization said in its 2023 Employment Outlook.

The highest-risk jobs were defined as those that use more than 25 of the 100 skills and abilities that AI experts consider could be easily automated.

Three out of five workers, meanwhile, fear they could lose their jobs to AI in the next 10 years, the OECD found in a survey last year. The survey included 5,300 workers in 2,000 firms spanning manufacturing and finance in seven OECD countries.

The survey was conducted before the explosive rise of generative AI such as ChatGPT.

Despite fears about the use of artificial intelligence, two-thirds of workers already working with it said that automation had made their jobs less dangerous or boring.

“How AI will ultimately affect workers in the workplace and whether the benefits will outweigh the risks will depend on the policy actions we take,” OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann said at a press conference.

“Governments need to help workers prepare for the changes and take advantage of the opportunities that AI will bring,” he continued.

Minimum wages and collective bargaining can help ease the pressure AI can put on wages while governments and regulators must ensure workers’ rights are not compromised, the OECD said.

Reporting by Leigh Thomas; Editing by Emma Rumney

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