If you thought the most highly-esteemed jobs in the world are immune to the robot revolution, think again.
Wimbledon’s line judges – a profession that goes back 147 years – have had their ‘love and passion ripped away’ after being dumped in favour of AI.
From 2025, new AI-powered technology called electronic line calling (ELC) will be used to make close calls during matches instead.
So, could your career be next in the firing line?
A new study has revealed the jobs at risk of being placed by robots – including several that involve years of training and qualifications.
Researchers in Cambridge have found that many jobs not generally considered under threat from AI are in danger of being replaced
As Wimbledon replaces its line judges with AI , experts reveal the careers that could be next in the firing line
The new research was conducted by researchers at the British branch of research company Nokia Bell Labs, based in Cambridge.
For the study, the experts developed the Artificial Intelligence Impact (AII) score, which assesses how closely an occupation’s tasks align with recent AI innovations.
It involved analysing more than 24,000 AI-related patents filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office between 2015 and 2022.
The researchers found that many jobs not generally considered under threat from AI are in danger of being replaced.
‘Our results reveal that some occupations will potentially be impacted, and that impact is intricately linked to specific skills,’ they warn.
‘These include not only routine tasks as previously thought but also non-routine ones (e.g. diagnosing health conditions, programming computers, and tracking flight routes).’
Right at the top of the risk list is cardiovascular technologist/technician – a skilled job involving diagnosing heart and blood vessel issues.
It normally requires an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in cardiovascular technology and has an average salary of £37,000 per year.
The research team say up to 60 per cent of tasks done by cardiovascular technologists are likely to be ‘replaced by AI-enhanced hardware’.
At number two is sound engineer (someone who assembles equipment in recording studios), followed by nuclear medicine technologist (someone who prepares and administers radioactive drugs).
Nuclear medicine involves using ‘tracers’ with a small amount of radioactivity to diagnose and treat conditions in the body (file photo)
AI is making big changes in the music industry – and the study suggests that this will extend to replacing sound engineers (file photo)
Experts developed Artificial Intelligence Impact (AII) score, which assesses how closely an occupation’s tasks align with AI innovations. It involved analysing more than 24,000 AI-related patents filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office between 2015 and 2022
Although a sound engineer’s job often involves moving around in a physical space, more and more of their tasks are involving computers.
‘For sound engineers, tasks potentially impacted by patents are from the digital post-processing side – e.g. mixing, editing, and synchronization,’ study author Daniele Quercia told MailOnline.
Other jobs on the 20 most-impacted list include orthodontists (at number 7), security guards (13), radiologists (16) and space scientists (17).
Overall, jobs in healthcare and scientific and technical services are likely to be worst-affected.
The team’s method also allowed them to compile a list of jobs not under threat – with pile driver operator at the top of the list.
This is followed by dredge operator (operating big equipment to excavate waterways), and aircraft baggage handling supervisor.
In fact, a surprising number of the least-impacted jobs involve some form of labour, challenging the notion that robots will soon be better suited to such tasks.
Others included floor sanders and finishers (number 6), quarry rock splitter (10), podiatrist (12) and ‘short order’ cook (15) – a chef who prepares dishes quickly.
‘The least-impacted occupations mainly consist of blue-collar occupations,’ the experts say in their study, published in PNAS Nexus.
‘The AII score… shows that the lowest impact is seen for jobs requiring a high school diploma or less.’
Pile driver operator (pictured) is the number one least-impacted job by AI, the new study found
A number of the least-impacted jobs involve some form of labour, challenging the notion that robots will soon be better suited to such tasks. Pictured, aircraft cargo handler
Overall, jobs in healthcare and scientific and technical services are likely to be worst-affected
The researchers conclude that jobs involving more ‘manual dexterity’ may actually be more immune than those typically regarded as more skilled or specialized.
This should make sense considering the primary strength of AI is to replicate the processes going on in a human brain.
Generally, humanoid robots such as Ameca or Tesla’s Optimus are considered as forms of AI, but they’re not close to achieving the required manual dexterity.
The team say achieving a consensus about which jobs are most under threat is crucial to ‘start formulating effective policies’ to address ‘ongoing transformations’.
Many employers could also consider how occupations at their company could be ‘augmented rather than replaced’.
‘Promoting a culture of continuous learning and skill development is essential,’ the researchers add.
