Britain keeps on implementing AI. The author created this illustration on FLUX.1 from Black Forest Labs using detailed prompts without alterations / Delo.ua
According to a study by the National Fund for Educational Research (NFER), up to 3 million lower-skilled positions in the UK might vanish by 2035 as a result of automation and AI adoption.
Delo.ua reports this, referencing The Guardian.
NFER suggests that jobs in technical fields, machine operation, and administrative assistance are most susceptible to becoming obsolete.
Simultaneously, there should be increased demand for highly qualified experts as the advancement of AI and technology elevates the workload “at least for the short to medium term.” The report concludes that the British economy could potentially see an addition of 2.3 million jobs by 2035, though their allocation won’t be even.
These conclusions are in contrast with other recent analyses suggesting that AI will exert a greater influence on high-paying tech occupations, such as software engineering and consulting, than on manual and blue-collar jobs. A King’s College London study, released in October, approximated that “high-paying organizations” reduced approximately 9.4% of roles between 2021 and 2025, with a significant portion of that timeframe following ChatGPT’s debut in 2022.
The UK government has identified management consultants, psychologists, and lawyers as among the professions “most exposed to AI”, whereas “athletes,” “roofers,” and “bricklayers” are deemed less likely to be substituted.
Last week, the law practice Clifford Chance revealed a 10% reduction in its business services personnel in its London branch—approximately 50 positions—partly attributable to AI’s effects. Furthermore, PwC’s chairman openly rescinded plans to recruit 100,000 individuals between 2021 and 2026, citing “the world has changed” and that AI has influenced the company’s personnel requirements.
Jude Hillary, the report’s co-author, mentioned that NFER’s extended modeling implies that forecasts of extensive AI-induced cutbacks might be premature.
He posited that certain reductions attributed to AI may stem from subdued economic impetus in the UK, increasing national insurance expenditures, and caution among employers.
“There exists a broad uncertainty regarding the trajectory and the pace of potential enhancements. There is substantial discussion concerning AI and automation, frequently devoid of tangible substance. Employers exhibit apprehension,” Hillary stated.
He further noted that AI’s repercussions on the UK’s employment landscape would be intricate: specific professional functions would experience heightened demand, numerous entry-level roles would face diminished demand, and there would be a continuing contraction in demand for lower-skilled professions. The latter is particularly alarming, as individuals displaced from such roles may encounter difficulties acquiring novel proficiencies amidst the economy’s transformation.
“The majority of emerging roles in the employment sector are concentrated in professional and allied domains. The displaced workforce—the one to three million individuals referenced in the report—will confront considerable obstacles in re-entering the labor market,” he underscored.
Delo.ua had previously reported on the Bank of England’s caution regarding the heightened possibility of an AI “bubble” bursting. The bank conveyed worry concerning the swift escalation in valuation of premier AI enterprises.
