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The 40 Jobs Most and Least affected by AI according to Microsoft Research

Sascha Corti

• 1 min read
The 40 Jobs Most and Least affected by AI according to Microsoft Research
Photo by Christopher Burns / Unsplash

Microsoft Research has published a paper analyzing the impact of AI on the US job market, listing the 40 professions most likely to be impacted (at risk) and 40 least likely (more "safe") according to their "AI applicability score."

The study focuses on how AI overlaps with job tasks, particularly emphasizing roles involving research, writing, and communication, which AI is well-equipped to support or potentially replace. However, the research didn’t find evidence that AI could fully perform an entire occupation but could significantly change how tasks are completed.

Most at risk ("AI-heavy") jobs include roles such as:

  • Interpreters/Translators
  • Historians
  • Writers/Authors
  • Customer Service Representatives
  • Telemarketers, Reporters, Editors, Public Relations Specialists
  • Web Developers, Market Research Analysts, Data Scientists, Technical Writers, Editors
  • Others involve mostly digital, impersonal, or highly automatable work.

Jobs least at risk ("AI-light") are mainly those needing physical presence, dexterity, or a "human touch", e.g.:

  • Dredge Operators, Water Treatment Operators
  • Roofers, Builders, Pile Drivers, Logging Equipment Operators
  • Massage Therapists, Surgical Assistants, Housekeeping, Dishwashers
  • Nurses, Phlebotomists, Highway Maintenance Workers, some Medical Technicians

Broader context:

  • The study highlights that businesses may use AI to cut team sizes or outsource human work to AI models—even though it might not outright eliminate jobs, it will change job structures significantly.
  • Layoffs related to AI adoption are already being observed, with Microsoft itself reportedly laying off over 15,000 people in 2025 due to AI-related business shifts.
  • While jobs requiring creativity, dexterity, and direct human interaction seem safer today, advances in robotics and AI could change that in the future.
  • The article speculates on future societal impacts, including wealth inequality, job loss, and societal transformation similar in scale to the industrial revolution—but also notes potential benefits like faster medical discoveries and economic solutions.

Conclusion: The transformation brought by AI will be massive, bringing both opportunity and upheaval. It’s unclear whether AI will ultimately be a net positive or negative for society—this remains a topic for debate and future observation