As long-standing predictions about AI-related job losses become a reality, more and more people have been left wondering if their job will be next. 

Experts are weighing in, explaining that jobs that cannot be easily automated — whether for practical, technological, or regulatory reasons — will remain the most secure, while so-called knowledge jobs without physical components will be the most vulnerable, according to USA Today.

What's happening?

As companies and organizations adopt artificial intelligence in an effort to lower costs and increase productivity, some roles will involve using AI as a tool to augment the work of human beings. Other jobs that can be accomplished using technology alone could be automated. 

"If something can get done instantaneously or continuously, and it doesn't involve physical exertion, those jobs are really under scrutiny," said Andrew Gadomski, an expert on incorporating AI into the workplace. 

These kinds of jobs involve repetitive, knowledge-based tasks such as note-taking, translation, and scheduling, according to Gadomski. 

Also vulnerable have been positions such as low-level software coding and customer service, according to a Stanford University study examining AI-related job losses among people 22- to 25-year-olds. 

The least vulnerable jobs are those that involve tasks that AI technology cannot easily replicate, especially those involving physical components. Emergency first responders are one example. 

"I always tell my daughter, you can always be a Coast Guard rescue swimmer, you can always be a firefighter," Gadomski said, according to USA Today. 

Other examples of jobs that are safer from AI — for now at least — include plumbing, nursing, and performing surgery. Some jobs, such as being a lawyer, cannot easily be replaced by AI for regulatory reasons. 

"In order for you to walk into a courtroom and have a defendant, you need to be an attorney," Gadomski explained. "You need to pass the bar and be licensed." 

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Why do AI-related job losses matter?

Artificial intelligence is ushering in unprecedented eras of change at nearly every level of human society. Not only are these changes taking place on an enormous scale, but they are also occurring at a head-spinning pace. 

"What's actually going to happen is rich people are going to use AI to replace workers," Geoffrey Hinton — sometimes referred to as the "Godfather of AI" — told the Financial Times. "It's going to create massive unemployment and a huge rise in profits. It will make a few people much richer and most people poorer." 

Worryingly, the jobs most at risk of being automated away by AI are entry-level positions that often go to young people looking to start their careers. 

"We find that since the widespread adoption of generative AI, early-career workers (ages 22-25) in the most AI-exposed occupations have experienced a 13% relative decline in employment," the authors of the Stanford study wrote, calling those jobs "canaries in the coal mine."

Widespread job losses would lead to widespread unemployment, leaving many people unable to earn money to support themselves and their families. While some have proposed solutions such as a universal basic income, policies are not in place to cushion the financial impact that AI-related job losses could cause millions or even billions of people. 

Additionally, the power-hungry data centers required to run artificial intelligence use massive amounts of electricity and water while also generating large quantities of planet-overheating pollution. Furthermore, if the pace of new electricity generation does not keep up with the levels of electricity these data centers consume, this will cause demand to outweigh supply, and electricity prices will go up for everyone. 

What's being done about AI-related job losses?

In the immediate term, people can take steps to enter professions that are less likely to be automated away. However, if more people enter those fields, competition for limited jobs will intensify. 

On a larger scale, preventing AI from driving millions of people into unemployment and poverty will require comprehensive, well-thought-out policies by governments, including substantial social safety nets. This could involve initiatives including a universal basic income and universal health care. The policies in place, especially in the United States, are simply not up to the task.

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