Will AI replace your job? Microsoft report reveals careers most at risk in 2025

Dubai: Artificial Intelligence is no longer just a buzzword. It's already reshaping how we search, write, sell, analyse data — and even teach. But which jobs are truly vulnerable to being overrun by AI tools?

A new study by Microsoft Research sheds light on this. By analysing 200,000 anonymised interactions between US users and Bing Copilot between January and September 2024, the tech giant has identified the professions most (and least) affected by generative AI tools.

AI won’t take your job — but someone using AI might

The goal, Microsoft researchers say, is not to stoke fear but to provide clarity. “Our research shows that AI supports many tasks, particularly those involving research, writing and communication, but it does not indicate it can fully perform any single occupation,” said Kiran Tomlinson, Microsoft senior researcher and lead author of the paper.

The study introduces an “AI applicability score” — a measure of how much overlap there is between AI capabilities and daily job duties.

The findings suggest that while no role is fully automatable, many can be significantly supported — or disrupted — by AI.

These jobs are most at risk from AI disruption

Here are the top 10 professions with the highest AI applicability scores, meaning they involve a high percentage of tasks that AI tools like Copilot can already perform:

• Interpreters and translators

• Historians

• Passenger attendants

• Sales representatives of services

• Writers and authors

• Customer service representatives

• CNC tool programmers

• Telephone operators

• Ticket agents and travel clerks

• Broadcast announcers and radio DJs

Many of these roles involve repetitive communication, text generation or information retrieval — all areas where AI has shown strong performance.

Roles that AI is less likely to disrupt

Jobs that require physical presence, hands-on work, or emotional intelligence tend to be more AI-resilient. According to Microsoft, roles in healthcare, education, and skilled trades — such as phlebotomists, nursing assistants, ship engineers and tire repairers — are among the least affected.

These jobs rely heavily on human empathy, dexterity, or real-world problem-solving, which are currently beyond the scope of AI capabilities.

Where does your profession stand? Jobs grouped by AI applicability

Scores between 34–37% (moderately affected):

• Library science educators

• Switchboard operators

• Public safety telecommunicators

• Web developers

• Market research analysts

• Geographers

• Personal financial advisors

• Editors

• Demonstrators and product promoters

• PR specialists

• Data scientists

• Statistical assistants

• Advertising sales agents

Scores between 38–41% (high impact zone):

• Proofreaders and copy markers

• Technical writers

• Journalists and news analysts

• Mathematicians

• Political scientists

• Telemarketers

• Concierges

• Broadcast announcers and DJs

• Farm and home educators

• Travel agents and ticket clerks

• Brokerage clerks

Scores between 42–49% (most exposed):

• Telephone operators

• Customer service reps

• Writers and authors

• CNC programmers

• Passenger attendants

• Historians

• Interpreters and translators

Adapt or fall behind: Why AI literacy is the new workplace currency

While the data might seem daunting, experts say the takeaway isn’t to fear AI — it’s to embrace it.

"You're not going to lose your job to an AI, but you're going to lose your job to someone who uses AI," said Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, at the 2025 Milken Institute Global Conference.

Companies like Shopify, Duolingo, and Fiverr have already made AI literacy part of their internal upskilling — or hiring — criteria.

How to future-proof your career in the AI era

According to Stanford lecturer Robert E. Siegel, the rise of AI makes human-centric skills more valuable than ever.

These include:

• Empathy and emotional intelligence

• Critical thinking and adaptability

• Relationship building

• Leadership and collaboration

“The AI revolution is real,” Siegel wrote for CNBC Make It. “Rather than fearing it, we should treat it as a catalyst for growth and reinvention.”

Final word: It's not AI vs humans — it's AI with humans

Microsoft’s research makes one thing clear: AI isn’t coming for your job — unless you let it. Those who learn to collaborate with AI, rather than compete against it, are the ones most likely to thrive.