Source: Adam Smith Institute
by Madsen Pirie
“[O]ne cannot help but notice that all of those previous stages of the ongoing Industrial Revolution involved job losses as mechanical power replaced manpower. Freeing up time, boosting efficiency, and reducing costs involve using less labour, and that means fewer jobs. The jobs most immediately at risk from AI are those with repetitive, rule-based, or data-heavy tasks. This includes roles like data entry clerks, telemarketers, basic customer service representatives, and some roles in manufacturing and transportation. Additionally, jobs in finance, legal, and market research are also facing increased automation. … the wealth that came in the wake of the increased productivity they generated led to many more new jobs that added more value. Most of the jobs our predecessors did 100 years ago do not exist today, and most of the jobs we do now did not exist then.” (07/17/25)