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AI puts Austin jobs at risk: study
Study shows Austin as the No. 23 city where AI threatens employment the most, with over 100,000 jobs considered at risk.
AUSTIN, Texas - Is artificial intelligence (AI) coming for your job?
A study, posted on Chamber of Commerce, showed Austin as the No. 23 city where AI threatens employment the most, with over 100,000 jobs considered at risk. San Antonio is No. 6.
Collin Czarnecki, who led the research for this study, joined FOX 7 Austin's Mike Warren to discuss.
Mike Warren: What are the fields that are most impacted by advancements in AI?
Collin Czarnecki: From bank tellers to retail workers, there really are very few lines of work that are really immune to artificial intelligence. But when we looked at this study, we took a closer look at the most susceptible occupations and roles that are really at risk due to advancements in A.I. Technology.
Mike Warren: And are those jobs really at risk?
Collin Czarnecki: Historically, advancements in automation, you've seen a lot of blue collar jobs at risk. But now I'm sorry, white collar jobs are at risk in terms of advancements with A.I. Technology. So roles and administration, clerical work, data entry, things like that. And specifically in the Austin area, we found that cashiers, retail sales and customer service representatives are really the Top-3 most at risk when it comes to A.I.
Mike Warren: And Austin has a lot of those jobs, hence its ranking?
Collin Czarnecki: Absolutely, yeah. Austin overall, cashiers, there's a little over 31,000 jobs that fall into that at risk category. And when you think about it too, you know, you already see changes when you go into the grocery store, you go into a retail big box store, you're seeing self-checkout automated payment options. So A.I.'s Really accelerated disruptions within those specific occupations.
Mike Warren: When is the earliest we could see the job market impacted by A.I.? And it sounds like it's already happening.
Collin Czarnecki: A lot of these roles have already seen disruption in some way, shape or form. But the timeline for this particular study really looked at the next five years when those major changes could take place, whether it's making occupations more efficient or totally reducing and eliminating positions overall.
Mike Warren: And how do people prepare? What occupations are out there that are going to be safe?
Collin Czarnecki: I think it's easy to let the fear of the unknown seep in, especially when it comes to advancements in technology. But really, you know, just being prepared in the sense of soaking in as much as you can, whether whatever your role is, you know, maybe if you haven't used programs like ChatGPT yet try to incorporate that within your job. I mean, if anything, it can make your role a little easier. Take it, take a little load off of your work. But, you know, really just being prepared for the unknown and learning as much as you can about it right now to help prepare yourself for the future when it comes to programs like ChatGPT and A.I. advancements.