Many people fear that AI like ChatGPT could take their jobs. A report says that in May 2023, many people lost their jobs due to AI. MeinMMO breaks down what it’s about.
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Where does the report come from? The company Challenger, Gray & Christmas is a so-called outplacement firm. Outplacement refers to career counseling for professional reorientation. When a company lays off many employees, an outplacement firm helps the dismissed individuals.
Challenger, Gray & Christmas collects data every month on how many people were laid off and breaks down the reasons behind it. In the current report for May 2023, AI also played a significant role.
In 3,900 jobs, AI is cited as the reason for termination
What do the numbers look like specifically? The published report states that in May 2023 around 80,000 were laid off. Compared to April, that is 20% more. Of these layoffs, 3,900 (about 5%) were due to artificial intelligence. Thus, AI takes the 7th position that employers cited as a reason.
In the tech sector, there are repeated reports of individuals being fired due to AI (via cbsnews.com):
- The Washington Post reported on two copywriters who lost their livelihood because their employers decided that ChatGPT could do the work cheaper.
- Media companies like CNET have already laid off reporters because they used AI to write articles that later had to be corrected for plagiarism.
- A counseling center used a chatbot for eating disorders to replace human employees who had unionized. After the bot gave problematic tips to people, it had to be shut down.
- Others explain, that they pay for their employees’ ChatGPT subscription and therefore need to hire fewer people.
Such numbers and reports fuel the fears of people who are anxious and worried about developments in the AI field. Some already fear the death of art due to AI works or see their jobs at risk.
Are there safe jobs? The head of ChatGPT recently revealed which professions a AI cannot replace. In total, he came up with 34 professions that are safe from artificial intelligence. In addition to bus drivers and hairdressers, there are also some other, less known jobs:
The inventor of the AI ChatGPT reveals which 34 professions AI can never replace
