The ChatGPT fear is real. The A.I. is already outstripping human candidates on job applications, and top economists have said it will take over half the jobs in the U.S., while lowering the wages of the roles remaining.
And now OpenAI’s bot has revealed which roles it thinks it is “likely” to take over. Fortune asked ChatGPT: “Which jobs do you think ChatGPT will replace?”
It coyly responded that it “could not predict the future” but added there are “some tasks currently performed by people [which] may become automated or streamlined by technology like me.”
These included data entry and data processing; customer service and support roles (e.g., answering frequently asked questions); translation tasks; and report writing and content generation.
Quick to defend its answer, ChatGPT added: “However, it is important to note that while some tasks may be automated, technology like me can also help to augment and support human workers, enabling them to be more productive and efficient in their roles.”
A.I. bot race
ChatGPT is far from the first of its kind but has quickly prompted rivals to announce a raft of competitors. On Monday, Google CEO Sundar Pichai unveiled Bard, which can summarize internet search results. Chinese internet search giant Baidu announced that it will debut an A.I.-powered, English-language chatbot called “Ernie Bot” by March. Microsoft announced yesterday it would be using OpenAI’s Prometheus model to launch a chatbot interface for its Bing search engine.
And with the market only swelling in size and power it’s no wonder ChatGPT also told Fortune job displacement because of bots is already occurring and will continue to do so in the coming years. It added: “In some industries, such as manufacturing and certain types of data processing, the automation of jobs has been underway for several decades. In others, such as customer service and support, the adoption of A.I. is more recent and is expected to accelerate in the coming years.
“It is important to note that while some jobs may be lost due to A.I., new job opportunities are also likely to be created as businesses and organizations adopt and make use of these new technologies. The key challenge will be to ensure that workers have the skills and training needed to transition into these new job opportunities.”
OpenAI’s founder has always been fairly open about how well—or terribly—ChatGPT could go. Speaking at a VC-focused event in San Francisco on January 12, Sam Altman said: “I think the good case [for A.I.] is just so unbelievably good that you sound like a crazy person talking about it. I think the worst case is lights-out for all of us.”
ChatGPT’s reach is only going to get wider, with Altman adding that Microsoft-backed OpenAI is working on a system that can generate video from text descriptions. In mid-January the company also hinted it plans to release a commercial version of the bot that would give customers paid-for access to integrate the interface with their own products and services.
The bot noted it would have a “net positive” impact on the job market, with A.I. providing increased productivity and efficiency that would drive economic growth. It added that the balance of losing jobs versus new jobs created is down to “the level of investment in A.I., the strength of the education and training systems, and the overall health of the economy.”
And no, if ChatGPT takes your job, it’s got no qualms about it: “I do not have emotions or personal feelings,” it added.
OpenAI did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Learn how to navigate and strengthen trust in your business with The Trust Factor, a weekly newsletter examining what leaders need to succeed. Sign up here.
