Asian American workers are the most likely to be affected by artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in their jobs, compared to other racial and ethnic groups in the U.S. The study, which was released on Wednesday, examined the exposure of American workers to AI and their potential risk of being replaced or assisted by AI systems.
According to the study, 24 percent of Asian American workers are in jobs that are most exposed to AI, meaning that their most important tasks could be altered or taken over by AI. This is followed by 20 percent of white workers, 15 percent of Black workers, and 13 percent of Hispanic workers. The study also found that women are slightly more exposed to AI than men, with 21 percent of female workers and 17 percent of male workers in high-risk jobs.
The study categorized jobs into three levels of AI exposure: high, medium, and low. High-exposure jobs are those that require a high degree of analytical, technical, or professional skills, such as web developers, budget analysts, or technical writers. Medium-exposure jobs are those that involve some interaction with technology but also require human judgment or creativity, such as chief executives, veterinarians, or sales managers. Low-exposure jobs are those that rely mostly on physical labor or personal care, such as firefighters, barbers, or childcare workers.
The study also revealed a correlation between education levels and AI exposure. Workers with a bachelor’s degree or higher are more than twice as likely to be exposed to AI than those with only a high school diploma. Additionally, there is a significant income gap between workers with different levels of AI exposure. Those in high-risk jobs earn an average hourly wage of $33, while those in low-risk jobs earn an average of $20 per hour.
The study suggested that the impact of AI on different groups of workers could have implications for racial and gender disparities in the labor market. However, the study also noted that most workers in high-exposure jobs are optimistic about AI and its potential benefits for their work. For example, 32 percent of those in information technology jobs said that AI will help more than hurt their work, while only 11 percent said the opposite.