Who’s Most Afraid of Being Replaced by AI? New Data Reveals the Rankings

If you’re worried AI might take your job, you’re not alone… and some professions are far more anxious than others. New research reveals which workers are watching AI most closely.

The study by AI ad generator Bestever analyzed the average monthly search volume across the US for key terms related to AI use in certain jobs over the past year. Key terms included phrases like “AI Lawyer” and “Mathematician replaced by AI.”

The data found that the mathematician job title received 142,909 average monthly AI-related searches. The term “AI Mathematician” was the most popular search term related to the job, as more people are turning to AI software to solve math puzzles, Bestever said.

“While AI is unable to replace the insightful knowledge that mathematicians use every day, the study still reflects on the growing dependence on AI when it comes to solving math-based problems, which can easily be a source of anxiety for many mathematicians,’’ the company said.

Usage of GenAI among lawyers has more than doubled

The research revealed that lawyers are the second-most concerned about being replaced by AI. The job title has an average of 17,975 monthly searches for AI replacement. “AI Lawyer” is one of the most popular search terms in relation to the job, accounting for 17,400 searches alone, according to Bestever. The query “Will lawyers be replaced by AI?” is also recurring. 

A 2024 LexisNexis survey of over 1,200 legal professionals revealed that generative AI usage more than doubled over a six-month period.

If AI takes over coding, will data scientists still be needed?

According to the research, data scientists are the third-most concerned about being replaced by AI. The research revealed that the job has an average of 2,981 monthly searches related to AI usage. The query “AI Data Scientist” accounts for 2,182 searches alone, while “Will data scientists be replaced by AI” is another popular inquiry.

In recent years, AI has become a powerful tool in the data science profession, especially for quickly analyzing large datasets, writing code, and generating reports.

With AI’s growing ability to perform quick data analysis, many professionals have questioned whether it will replace data scientists in the future.

“[Meta CEO] Mark Zuckerberg has even weighed in on how AI will reshape the industry, particularly when it comes to coding,’’ Bestever said. “For the time being, it’s clear that AI’s capabilities are being used to enhance the data science industry, rather than replace professionals.”

The top 10 jobs most concerned about AI replacement based on search volume:

Rank Job Title Average Monthly Search Volume 1 Mathematician 142,909 2 Lawyer 17,975 3 Data Scientist 2,981 4 Accountant 2,618 5 Architect 2,582 6 Statistician 2,409 7 Web Developer 2,009 8 Financial Advisor 1,955 9 Receptionist 1,864 10 Pilot 1,662 

As AI continues to advance, there has already been a significant impact on certain roles in the tech industry.

“For example, roles like junior software engineers are becoming less accessible, largely because AI-assisted coding reduces many entry-level tasks,” Bestever Founder and CEO Apoorva Govind told eWeek. “In a few years … this will massively restrict the tech industry’s workforce and entry-level roles.”

This includes roles such as IT support specialists, and “even SEO professionals are also beginning to feel the impact of rapid AI development due to AI’s ability to analyse data, automate troubleshooting, and streamline everyday tasks,” Govind added. 

He stressed that AI-based software is primarily used to enhance employee productivity rather than replace employees. While AI can boost worker productivity, “the software simply cannot replace the interpersonal skills and in-depth knowledge required by many of these professions … AI should be incorporated into the workforce as a collaborator, not as a potential competitor.” 

To learn more about job disruption tied to AI, see Hinton’s warning of major job loss ahead.
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