Opinion survey from Genesys flags manufacturing, retail, telemarketing and data entry positions as most likely to be impacted by AI
SAN FRANCISCO (Aug. 6, 2019) — A new survey finds U.S. workers believe jobs in Manufacturing (43%), Retail/Checkout Clerks (40%), Telemarketers (38%) and in Data Entry (37%) are the most likely to shrink due to the expansion of artificial intelligence (AI). However, two-thirds (67%) of respondents say they are not afraid that AI/bots will replace their own jobs within the next 10 years.
These findings stem from research sponsored by Genesys® (www.genesys.com), the global leader in omnichannel customer experience and contact center solutions, into the attitudes of 1,001 employed Americans regarding the current and future effects of AI on the workplace.
Survey participants in a wide variety of industries were asked to select the three jobs most likely to be replaced by AI from among the following options: Accountant/Tax Preparer, Data Entry, Food Service, Insurance Underwriters, Manufacturing, Paralegal, Pharmacist, Retail/Checkout Clerk, Telemarketer, Transportation/Driver, and Other.
Who’s afraid of AI?
The Genesys findings reveal that U.S. employees working in Education/Training and as Doctor/Nurse/Caregivers are the least afraid that AI/bots will take their jobs within the next 10 years. The most afraid? The Media and those with Assembly Line/Manufacturing jobs.
Human Resources employees, who should have the pulse on employment trends, identified Data Entry and Retail/Checkout jobs as the most likely to be replaced by AI, and equally at risk. Employees working in Customer Service tend toward pessimism, selecting the jobs of Retail/Checkout Clerk and Telemarketer as the most likely to suffer from AI.
Surprisingly, Transportation-related jobs, such as drivers, are considered by only 16% of U.S. survey respondents as among the most likely functions to be replaced by AI. This response appears to indicate that participants are not paying close attention to the predicted coming revolution in autonomous vehicles and trucking fleets.
Equally interesting is that in spite of publicity surrounding automated restaurants and robot servers, particularly in Asia, only 17% of U.S. respondents see Food Service jobs in danger of AI. Survey respondents working within Food Service and Transportation themselves ignore negative media coverage and point the finger at Retail/Checkout Clerks and Manufacturing positions as the most threatened.
Just over half (52%) of U.S. employees surveyed express confidence in their skillset for competing in the AI-enabled workplace, but this could change as an equal 52% say they don’t feel AI has impacted their jobs — yet.
“The American employees we surveyed have a generally positive view of technology in their workplaces, with 86% affirming its benefits. However, that doesn’t make them blind to how artificial intelligence could impact particular industries,” said Merijn te Booij, chief marketing officer for Genesys. “The key is that humans and technology must work together. When implemented strategically and balanced with the human touch, AI can elevate the workforce by enabling employees to be more productive, accurate and fulfilled as they are positioned to enjoy the more complex aspects of their work.”
The survey uncovers many other interesting insights, including:
- Across age groups, U.S. employees agree that Manufacturing and Retail/Checkout Clerks are most at risk, while believing that Paralegals (4%), Insurance Underwriters (5%), and Pharmacists (7%) have the best chance to survive automation.
- More part-time U.S. employees (25%) fear AI will take their jobs within 10 years than do full-time workers (18%), although there is no significant difference in attitudes on the specific jobs they think are likely to disappear.
- Employees in the largest companies, with more than 20,000 staff, are slightly less afraid (17%) than the overall group (19%) of the effect of AI/bots on their jobs within the next 10 years, possibly because they have already experienced its negative impact (10%) and see a more stable future.
The responses of U.S. employees line up very closely to the opinions held by U.S. employers surveyed separately by Genesys, who also found the four jobs most threated by AI to be Data entry, Manufacturing, Retail/Checkout Clerk and Telemarketer. The only notable difference was that more employers (52%) selected Data Entry as their top choice, compared to 37% of the employees.
Genesys announced initial employee survey findings in July and will release additional insights in the coming months from both employee and employer surveys.
Survey Methodology and Participants
Within the U.S., a total of 1,001 adults completed the online survey of employees in April. Respondents were evenly divided into three age ranges: 18-38, 39-54, 55-73, with women accounting for 65% and men 35%; less than 1% did not categorize by gender.
Approximately 80% of those surveyed have full-time employee status with the remaining 20% working part-time. Respondents came from seven categories of company sizes, with a total of 42% employed in companies of fewer than 250 employees.
While U.S. survey respondents work in a wide variety of industries, 77% are currently working in one of 11 functional job categories: Administrative, Assembly Line/Manufacturing, Customer Service/Retail/Technical Support, Doctor/Nurse/Caregiver, Education/Training, Finance/Accounting, Food Service, Human Resources, Marketing/Inside Sales, Media, and Driver/Transportation Provider. The remaining 23% fell into an “Other” job category.
Genesys commissioned third-party research consultancy Vitreous World to conduct an identical survey in six countries — the U.S., Germany, the United Kingdom, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand — for a total of 4,207 participants.
About Genesys
Genesys® powers more than 25 billion of the world’s best customer experiences each year. Our success comes from connecting employee and customer conversations on any channel. Every day, 11,000 companies in more than 100 countries trust our #1 customer experience platform to drive great business outcomes and create lasting relationships. Combining the best of technology and human ingenuity, we build solutions that mirror natural communication and work the way you think. Our industry-leading solutions foster true omnichannel engagement because they perform equally well across channels, on-premise and in the cloud. Experience communication as it should be: fluid, instinctive and profoundly empowering. Visit genesys.com.
