Office jobs increasingly threatened by artificial intelligence

The study said office and secretarial occupations were particularly at risk © Keystone / Christian Beutler

So far automation and digitalisation have mainly led to job losses in manufacturing, but the growing importance of artificial intelligence (AI) will also jeopardise office jobs, according to a study.

ChatGPT and other AI applications are about to have a massive impact on the world of work, with jobs in marketing and sales, retail, commercial and industrial production being particularly affected, says the study by the labour market observatory AmosaExternal link at the University of Zurich.

It said jobs in these areas may be particularly at risk in the future because they have a high proportion of routine activities and at the same time have great potential for the use of AI applications.

“Artificial intelligence could be increasingly used in marketing, for example, when it comes to recognising behavioural patterns and customer needs and the related personalisation of advertising,” said Katharina Degen, head of Amosa’s Swiss Job Market Monitor.

The study, presented in Zurich on Tuesday, said office and secretarial occupations were particularly at risk. But the retail trade, which has already come under heavy pressure from online trade, is also likely to remain in focus.

Amosa said the labour market authorities and various employers’ associations agree that in a world of work characterised by digitalisation and a shortage of skilled workers it will be a matter of ensuring that employees can acquire the necessary skills to be able to work in the occupations that are in demand. Digital skills in particular should be specifically promoted.