- 62% of professionals in the UK are confident that a new range of jobs will be created as a direct result of artificial intelligence (AI)
- More than three quarters of British workers (79%) are concerned about the impact of AI on the UK jobs market, with 26% extremely or very concerned
- Over half (59%) of the workforce feel their job is at risk of automation to some degree.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is likely to transform the UK jobs market, according to the latest research from Hudson, the talent solutions business.
The research, which is based upon the opinions of 1,000 office workers throughout the UK, revealed that 62% of UK professionals believe AI will result in new jobs opportunities. And this belief is even higher with younger professionals, with almost three-quarters (74%) of 16-34 year-olds agreeing new AI-related roles are bound to be created.
But this new technology will also have an impact on the present jobs market, with 48% saying AI will change the nature and function of existing jobs, and a further 40% saying it will reduce the number of jobs on the market.
Asked if they are concerned about the impact AI will have on the UK jobs market, more than three quarters (79%) agreed - with more than a quarter of that number stating they are very or extremely concerned. The survey also revealed that more than half (59%) of workers felt their current job was susceptible to automation.
Digital natives (18-34 year olds) are the least optimistic, with 85% saying they are concerned about the impact AI will have on the jobs market. As for holding onto their current jobs, 76% believe their positions are vulnerable to automation.
However, the majority of British workers believe their current jobs are safe for the immediate future. Asked whether their current job will exist in its present form in three to five years, 61% said it was very or extremely likely to do so.
Hudson’s Managing Director – UK and Ireland, Peter Istead, said:
“As AI technology becomes increasingly more available to the marketplace, organisations will naturally seek out new ways to better improve their existing processes and procedures – but organisations should also bear in mind the type of talent they need to attract and retain in order to cope with this new technology.
“As skillsets change and are gradually replaced by AI, approach and mindset will become even more crucial in building the workforce of the future. By separating human traits from AI, you are essentially assessing humans for the things they uniquely bring to the new world environment.”
Visit uk.hudson.com for more information.