Research finds 1.4 million UK jobs could be automated this year

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According to a Faethm AI forecast over 1.4 million jobs in the >UK could be replaced by automation this year alone. Faethm’s mission is to prepare the world “for the future of work” by using an AI engine – trained on billions of workforce data points – to predict what jobs need reskilling versus upskilling. We must acknowledge where it supplements existing work and invest in a targeted reskilling approach that recognises the new roles technology is creating and ensures human and machine labour complement one another. In its latest UK Workforce Forecast report (registration required) Faethm expects 4.8 percent of work – equivalent to 1.4 million full-time roles – to be automated over the next 12 months.

Adjusted for population Wales (5.3%) Northern Ireland (5.2%) and the North of England (5.1%) have the highest proportions of jobs at risk of automation. “Even ordinary downturns tend to increase automation as companies are tempted to replace expensive labour with cheaper automated systems. However the new conditions created by COVID-19 – and the need to reduce human interaction in public places – are making automation more attractive than in an ordinary recession. In-person human labour is becoming more expensive due to safety considerations around space PPE and the ability to take time off to self-isolate whereas machines and automated systems in comparison can be added without increasing infection risks at a comparatively lower cost. Longer-term changes in consumer behaviour could make a difference too as more interactions shift online meaning businesses are more likely to be considering automation than without the COVID-19 crisis.” These sectors represent nine percent of the workforce – around five million people – and Faethm estimates that the equivalent of 932 000 full-time roles in these sectors could be automated. Faethm’s research finds that many staple UK jobs are at risk from automation and may cease to exist in the future. However around 382 000 jobs could

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