With the rise of AI technology and new machines being incorporated into stores and companies, many jobs are at risk of being replaced by non-human entities. As a person tries to find a career to pursue or tries to look for a job, they should keep in mind what occupations are declining and may cease to exist in the future. For that reason, I have compiled a few jobs that may disappear by the next decade because of advanced technology. 

 

1) Telephone Operators: 

The task for this job is pretty self-explanatory; employees operate the communication of companies over the phone. They manage incoming calls and address any questions a customer may have, essentially providing customer services. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects Telephone Operators to be the fifth fastest declining occupation with a percent decline of 26.6%. Why?, you might ask. Well, telephone operators are being replaced by automated customer service which is used to address a customer’s needs without human interaction. This customer support enhanced with this type of technology is beneficial for both the business that uses it and the business’ customers because it reduces high call volumes and gets a more accurate and faster answer to a customer’s questions and concerns. Sadly, though, this would mean that a company won’t need to hire so many telephone operators if technology is getting the work done more efficiently. 

 

2) Data Entry Jobs: 

As explained in Indeed.com, the largest job site in the world, “Data entry is an industry in which employees add, verify and edit electronic data.” In other words, data entry is a type of clerical work, and some jobs include being a Virtual Assistant, Transcriptionist, and a Proofreader. The job of a Virtual Assistant is to carry out the small tasks of a company such as managing calendars, appointments, and payroll information. Unfortunately, these types of jobs are declining because new apps and digital software can complete the same tasks faster and more accurately. Moreover, a transcriptionist’s job is to transcribe audio files into text format, but there are a variety of new tools that turn speech into text. For example, on google docs, there is a voice-to-text option if you get tired of typing or you might have also been using the dictation option in your phone messenger app when your hands are full. There are also so many proofreading softwares such as Grammarly and Quillbot that can easily replace the jobs of proofreaders because they can analyze a document in a matter of seconds and accurately help a person fix their mistakes. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that employment of data entry keyers will decline by 26.0% by the year 2032, making it the largest percent decline in projected employment declines. 

 

3) Cashiers: 

It is no secret that self-checkout machines have become more prominent in stores and supermarkets. In fact, these machines are already starting to replace the role of cashiers because it carries out the same function but ultimately gets the job done faster for customers that are tech-savvy. However, like almost everything, these machines have their flaws. For example, it may not be user-friendly to people who are not used to using technology or it could easily malfunction and not carry out its function effectively. To add on, it may not be able to prevent shoplifting or customer errors which leads to merchandise losses. Nevertheless, these flaws are taken into account in order to improve self-checkout machines, and somewhere in the near future, these machines will facilitate the payment process and will want to be chosen over actual staff. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment of cashiers will reduce 10.4% from 2022 to 2032. 

 

4) Secretaries:

Similar to data entry jobs, secretaries are in charge of managing calendar events, answering calls for the company or their boss, and writing down notes for them. Thus, similar automated processes and apps are starting to replace secretaries which is high in fastest declining occupations that the U.S. Bureau of Statistics projects for 2032. 

 

5) Watch and Clock Fixers:

Because of the rise of smart watches and devices that display the time, the need for wrist watches has immensely decreased which, in turn, reduces the need for watch fixers. Furthermore, people are relying on digital clocks rather than clocks that don’t immediately tell you the time and require you to decipher it. (Don’t worry, we can still tell time, but many of us choose not to.) Watch and Clock Repairers is actually the occupation that has the highest projected decline out of all of the jobs discussed with a percentage of 29.8%. 

 

In a report published by Goldman Sachs, the authors discuss the potential effects of AI developments, “Shifts in workflows triggered by these advances could expose the equivalent of 300 million full-time jobs to automation.” Just imagine the number of jobs that would be replaced by machines and advanced technology in the future. There may eventually be a time when robots take over jobs that deal with a life or death situation, such as performing surgery on humans. To what extent will technology take over our jobs? Or even control our everyday lives?

Works Cited

"Decline in office and administrative support work suggests certain tasks and skills have been replaced by automation." The Conference Board, 19 Oct. 2022, www.conference-board.org/topics/labor-markets-charts/automation-replacing-office-and-administrative-support-jobs. Accessed 10 Apr. 2024.

"Generative AI could raise global GDP by 7%." Goldman Sachs, 5 Apr. 2023, www.goldmansachs.com/intelligence/pages/generative-ai-could-raise-global-gdp-by-7-percent.html. Accessed 10 Apr. 2024.

Haynes, Billy. "25 Jobs that Will Disappear Thanks to AI." Career Addict, 2 Oct. 2023, www.careeraddict.com/disappearing-jobs. Accessed 10 Apr. 2024.

Herrity, Jennifer. "Data Entry Jobs: A Complete Guide." Indeed, 9 Aug. 2023, www.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/data-entry. Accessed 10 Apr. 2024.

Hoff, Madison. "Here are 20 jobs that may disappear in the US over the next decade." Business Insider, 24 June 2023, www.businessinsider.com/jobs-disappearing-over-the-next-decade-employment-projections-2022-9. Accessed 10 Apr. 2024.

"Occupations with the largest job declines." U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 6 Sept. 2023, www.bls.gov/emp/tables/occupations-largest-job-declines.htm#top. Accessed 10 Apr. 2024.

Saleem, Faheed. "16 Jobs That Will Disappear in the Future Due to AI." Yahoo! Finance, 28 May 2023, finance.yahoo.com/news/16-jobs-disappear-future-due-164408138.html?guccounter=1. Accessed 10 Apr. 2024.