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“Guaranteed Job For Life”: 30 Jobs People Are 99.9% Sure AI Won’t Steal

“Guaranteed Job For Life”: 30 Jobs People Are 99.9% Sure AI Won’t Steal

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Whether you’re a techno-optimist, realist, or pessimist, you can’t deny that the rise of artificial intelligence is shaking things up. The job industry is going through some major shifts. And, likely, this will only accelerate in the future. The International Monetary Fund warns that AI is going to affect nearly 40% of all jobs worldwide.
Naturally, some folks are slightly worried about the future of their careers. Meanwhile, others are barely breaking a sweat. The r/AskReddit community recently chatted about the jobs that they think are nearly entirely safe from AI making them obsolete. Scroll down to hear their thoughts. (You might also want to keep this in mind for a plan B if your white-collar or creative job goes sideways.)
Bored Panda wanted to learn more about which professions are safer and more vulnerable, as well as how employees can adapt to the spread of AI. So, we reached out to marketing psychology speaker Matt Johnson, Ph.D., and personal finance expert Sam Dogen from ‘Financial Samurai’ for comment.

#1

“Guaranteed Job For Life”: 30 Jobs People Are 99.9% Sure AI Won’t Steal
Nursing.
SpaceMurse:
I would do ungodly, unforgivable things for an AI rig that will do my patients’ bowel programs.
105points

According to marketing psychology speaker Johnson, who is the host of the branding and human nature blogs, even though AI is “poised to transform a significant portion of the workforce, not everyone needs to panic.”

“It's clear that certain jobs are less susceptible to immediate disruption. Roles requiring high levels of creativity, critical thinking, and emotional intelligence, such as artists, therapists, and strategic decision-makers, are less likely to be automated. Jobs that involve complex problem-solving in unpredictable environments, like scientists or emergency responders, also remain relatively safe,” he explained to Bored Panda via email.

Johnson noted that other positions that are less likely to be automated include nurses, social workers, and educators, who require a high degree of human interaction and empathy in their day-to-day jobs.

Meanwhile, skilled tradespeople and technicians, whose roles demand high levels of manual dexterity and adaptability, are also safer from becoming obsolete. “While AI will undoubtedly impact the job market, these roles are expected to remain in demand due to their uniquely human qualities and the complexity of the tasks involved,” Johnson said.

#2

“Guaranteed Job For Life”: 30 Jobs People Are 99.9% Sure AI Won’t Steal
Trade jobs (plumbing, electricians, painters, etc).
dogdashdash:
Ye. I'm a plumber in Ontario. At this point I can literally quit my job right now via text and have a new one lined up for Monday. No AI or modular homes are taking any work from me.
88points

#3

“Guaranteed Job For Life”: 30 Jobs People Are 99.9% Sure AI Won’t Steal
Teacher, especially for younger kids. Parents want their kids learning from a human because there’s important social aspects they must learn.
No-Survey7308:
Teacher! Sorry but if covid has taught us anything it’s the need for a real person standing in front of these kids. As a teacher for the last 22 years i can tell you that these kids are damaged from remote learning. Turns out much of my job is getting kids to be present in the moment. Not distracted by the window or the kid next to them,not the phones but the material in front of them. Phones (and the ai in it) are making it harder but they need human beings to guide them and train them to gain intellectual endurance. AI will never replace us.
77points

Personal finance expert Dogen, the creator of the ‘Financial Samurai' blog and the author of the bestseller ‘How To Engineer Your Layoff,’ has a similar point of view.

“Artificial intelligence serves as a powerful tool, enhancing productivity while simultaneously posing a threat to certain jobs in the future. The key for all workers lies in understanding how to effectively utilize AI to boost job performance, akin to learning to use a scientific calculator for solving math equations when it was first introduced. Failure to grasp AI's potential leaves individuals at a disadvantage,” Dogen told Bored Panda.

“Jobs least susceptible to disruption by AI are those involving substantial manual labor. Professions like plumbing, electrical work, roofing, landscaping, and nursing necessitate hands-on tasks that AI can assist in improving but struggles to replace entirely,” he said.

#4

“Guaranteed Job For Life”: 30 Jobs People Are 99.9% Sure AI Won’t Steal
Engineers. Even when we have AI robot workers, someone will still need to fix the robots.
74points

#5

“Guaranteed Job For Life”: 30 Jobs People Are 99.9% Sure AI Won’t Steal
Artists who draw hands.
72points

#6

“Guaranteed Job For Life”: 30 Jobs People Are 99.9% Sure AI Won’t Steal
Wiping old peoples' butts in nursing homes. Guaranteed job for life. 
67points

“Conversely, jobs most vulnerable to AI disruption are those that can be easily automated without extensive manual labor. Roles such as data entry, data analysis, telemarketing, bookkeeping, cashiering, writing, and even aspects of investing fall into this category, as they involve tasks that AI can readily undertake. It is crucial for individuals to adapt and enhance their skills to remain competitive in a job market influenced by AI," Dogen said.

According to marketing psychology speaker Johnson, there are things that all employees can do to become less replaceable by AI. “Employees can focus on developing skills that complement AI rather than compete with it. Put simply—your job probably won't be replaced by AI itself; your job will be replaced by someone using AI,” he stressed.

“In order to cultivate a better partnership with AI, employees will want to think about honing their skills in areas like data analysis, programming, and machine learning, which can enhance their ability to work alongside AI systems. Additionally, cultivating soft skills, such as creativity, emotional intelligence, and complex problem-solving, can make individuals more valuable in roles that require human interaction and nuanced decision-making,” Johnson shared.

#7

“Guaranteed Job For Life”: 30 Jobs People Are 99.9% Sure AI Won’t Steal
I'm an aircraft mechanic, I don't see AI crawling its nonexistent a*s into the belly of an airplane anytime soon.
63points

#8

“Guaranteed Job For Life”: 30 Jobs People Are 99.9% Sure AI Won’t Steal
First responders.
I saw a fire break out once, near my office. It was an old factory where some junkies sometimes gather, so it naturally went up one day. There is a big heavy gate at the entrance of the yard with heavy steel bars and barbed wire. People from aroun the yard tried to open it before the firefighters came, so they had an easier job, but no one could open it, and there is a metalworking factory near it. Angle grinders, saws, nothing could cut it. The junkies used a small hole to get in.
Haxomen:
The firefighters came, took out some contraption and took the fire out through one of the windows of the factory. Using the Bernoulli principle. They never entered the yard. The fire raged 20 minutes and was done in 5 minutes after they came. I can't see a situation where AI is so responsive to really complex situations. Maybe some future AGI, but then we will achieve post scarcity.
53points

#9

“Guaranteed Job For Life”: 30 Jobs People Are 99.9% Sure AI Won’t Steal
I’m an occupational therapist in an inpatient rehabilitation hospital helping people regain independence with their daily activities. Hard to see AI taking my place in any time in the near or even mid future.
52points

In the meantime, Johnson shared some thoughts on how employees can address their fear of becoming obsolete. He said that it’s vital to stay informed about emerging technologies and industry trends. On top of that, employees ought to actively seek opportunities for continuous learning and upskilling.

“Building a strong professional network and staying adaptable to change can also help individuals navigate the evolving job market with confidence. By embracing lifelong learning and focusing on skills that complement AI, employees can position themselves for long-term career success in this age of generative AI,” he told us.

Personal finance expert Dogen, from Financial Samurai, shared with Bored Panda that the most effective strategy to safeguard your job from AI is to cultivate a personal brand. “For white-collar professionals, this involves building a brand centered on qualities such as dependability, hard work, kindness, collaboration, and intelligence. A robust ‘work brand’ encompassing these attributes ensures ongoing employability,” he said.

Creatives also need to prioritize brand-building so that they become distinct and stand out from a crowd of competitors.

#10

“Guaranteed Job For Life”: 30 Jobs People Are 99.9% Sure AI Won’t Steal
I'm biased but being a therapist. It'd be easy to make an AI who does it poorly and unethically. But to make even an alright therapist it would be insanely hard...
50points

#11

“Guaranteed Job For Life”: 30 Jobs People Are 99.9% Sure AI Won’t Steal
Politics.
Because politicians know they are vastly overpaid, and won't want to lose that.
45points

#12

“Guaranteed Job For Life”: 30 Jobs People Are 99.9% Sure AI Won’t Steal
Community work/ social work. The more human you are in this field, the better. No one would tolerate or even bother engaging with an AI.
44points

“A memorable brand should evoke a specific image or feeling, providing those who cultivate strong brands with enhanced opportunities and the ability to command premium prices. Consider the pricing contrast between Louis Vuitton, charging $2,000 for a handbag, and Old Navy, which might only command $80 for a similar production cost,” Dogen said.

“Creating a personal website is a pivotal aspect of brand-building, allowing individuals to control their image. While maintaining social media profiles on platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook is essential, your personal website offers the ideal space to authentically share your story and showcase who you are,” the expert suggested investing some time and energy into this.

“Finally, the best way to protect yourself from artificial intelligence is to actually invest in artificial intelligence companies. Everyone can invest in publicly traded companies with AI exposure, such as Microsoft, NVIDIA, Google, and more,” he shared his thoughts.

“In addition, everyone can now invest in private AI companies through open-ended venture capital funds investing in AI. Of course, there are no guarantees of these AI investments making a positive return, given they are all risk assets. However, if AI does indeed revolutionize the world, investing in AI companies today could pay off in the future.”

#13

“Guaranteed Job For Life”: 30 Jobs People Are 99.9% Sure AI Won’t Steal
I install elevators for a living. We are so, so far away from building any machine that has all the physical abilities to get it done, and just as far from making AI that has the wits it takes to figure out how to even do it.
Construction on sites in general, it involves a lot of "figuring it out" and "working with what you have".
41points

#14

“Guaranteed Job For Life”: 30 Jobs People Are 99.9% Sure AI Won’t Steal
Professional athlete.
40points

#15

“Guaranteed Job For Life”: 30 Jobs People Are 99.9% Sure AI Won’t Steal
Comedians. AI can't write funny things.
40points

A report from Goldman Sachs from back in March 2023 projected that content-generating AI could do a quarter of all the work currently done by people. In the European Union and the United States alone, around 300 jobs could be lost to automation.

“If generative AI delivers on its promised capabilities, the labor market could face significant disruption. Using data on occupational tasks in both the US and Europe, we find that roughly two-thirds of current jobs are exposed to some degree of AI automation, and that generative AI could substitute up to one-fourth of current work,” the report states.

According to Business Insider, some of the jobs that are the most vulnerable to AI include tech jobs (from coders to software engineers) and media jobs (from content creation and journalism to advertising).

#16

“Guaranteed Job For Life”: 30 Jobs People Are 99.9% Sure AI Won’t Steal
Honestly? IT
There’s always going to be something going wrong with computers that are so dumb and unique that AI won’t have any idea how to fix it.
37points

#17

“Guaranteed Job For Life”: 30 Jobs People Are 99.9% Sure AI Won’t Steal
Maintenance electrician here. My job is.
There is a new task everyday and nothing of it follows any sort of standard procedure at least for an AI.
It would first need to have a fully functioning body that can work without electricity in tight areas before it could even begin to replace me. And at that point we are either having a big war or universal basic income.
32points

#18

“Guaranteed Job For Life”: 30 Jobs People Are 99.9% Sure AI Won’t Steal
A fine-dining chef/cook. Sure, you could make a robot that throws ingredients together in a pan, and perhaps even beautifully plate it, but they lack the ability to taste. A cook needs to taste their food to make sure it tastes the way it's supposed to. Also, we use our ability to smell to reveal if certain foods have gone bad/rancid/rotten. If a human open a tub of chicken, and it smells sour and rotten, you throw it out. AI/robots can't smell, so might serve rotten food.
28points

Some media companies are already working to integrate AI tools like ChatGPT into their arsenals. For example, tech news site CNET is already using AI to write some articles. However, they’re far from perfect and have to be corrected. Meanwhile, BuzzFeed is using AI to generate new quizzes and travel guides.

Other jobs vulnerable to AI include legal professionals, market researchers, teachers, financial traders, accountants, customer service agents, and graphic designers.

If you feel that you're affected, first of all—don’t panic. Breathe! It’s natural to feel a tad worried about your future when the global job industry is being overhauled so quickly due to tech progress. While none of us can stop the rise and spread of AI, what we can do is change how we react to it. No matter our jobs, we can embrace these changes and adapt to them. Or, if you’re in an influential position to do so, you can do your part to help AI tools be used more ethically and less disruptively. 

From our perspective, it’s quite likely that AI tools are going to become integral in many white-collar positions. However, they (probably) won’t entirely replace human employees. AI is nothing if left unguided. You need talented and insightful workers with good managerial and editing skills to get the most out of them. 

#19

“Guaranteed Job For Life”: 30 Jobs People Are 99.9% Sure AI Won’t Steal
I think most jobs are safe, which is an unpopular opinion. AI generated content is mediocre at best, and the PR nightmare that follows getting called out on it is a dumpster fire. Maybe in 10-20 years this concept of job security can be revisited. But right now, AI just is quite sub-par at delivery in a non-ideal environment.
25points

#20

“Guaranteed Job For Life”: 30 Jobs People Are 99.9% Sure AI Won’t Steal
CEO / Executives. They're the ones replacing everyone else with AI while they reap the benefits and relax.
22points
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