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IMF Chief Warns AI will Affect 40% of All Jobs



AI, particularly artificial intelligence (AI), is on the brink of a revolution with the potential to boost productivity, global growth, and incomes while also posing challenges such as job replacement and deepening inequality. The impact of AI on the global labor market is substantial, with around 40% of jobs worldwide exposed to AI. Advanced economies face greater risks but also more opportunities from AI compared to emerging markets. While AI may complement human work in some cases, it could also lead to job displacement, lower wages, and reduced hiring, especially in high-skilled jobs. Emerging markets and low-income countries may experience fewer immediate disruptions from AI but face challenges in leveraging its benefits due to infrastructure and workforce limitations, potentially worsening inequality among nations.


We are standing at the threshold of a technological revolution that has the potential to ignite productivity, drive global growth, and enhance incomes worldwide. However, it also carries the possibility of replacing jobs and exacerbating inequality.


The swift progression of artificial intelligence has captured the attention of the world, evoking both excitement and concern, while prompting crucial questions about its potential impact on the global economy. Predicting the overall outcome is challenging, as AI will have intricate effects on economies. One thing we can assert with confidence is the necessity of formulating a set of policies to effectively harness the immense potential of AI for the betterment of humanity.


Reshaping the Landscape of Employment


In a fresh examination, IMF staff scrutinize the potential influence of AI on the global labor market.Several studies have indicated that AI could potentially replace jobs.Nevertheless, it is acknowledged that AI is likely to complement human work in many instances. The IMF's analysis encapsulates both dynamics.


The results are notable: nearly 40 percent of worldwide employment is vulnerable to AI. Traditionally, automation and information technology have primarily impacted routine tasks, but AI stands out for its capacity to affect high-skilled jobs. Consequently, advanced economies confront higher AI-related risks but also possess more opportunities to exploit its advantages, compared to emerging markets and developing economies.


In developed economies, around 60% of jobs could be impacted by AI.Around half of the vulnerable jobs could derive benefits from AI integration, leading to enhanced productivity. Conversely, AI applications might take over critical tasks currently carried out by humans, potentially diminishing labor demand, resulting in reduced wages and hiring. In extreme scenarios, some of these jobs may vanish.


Conversely, in emerging markets and low-income nations, AI exposure is anticipated to be at 40 percent and 26 percent, respectively. These findings suggest that emerging market and developing economies are prone to experience fewer immediate disruptions from AI. Nonetheless, many of these countries lack the infrastructure or skilled workforce to harness the advantages of AI, heightened the risk that over time, the technology might exacerbate inequality among nations.

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