A recent report published by the World Economic Forum provides insight into declining professions and those with bright futures ahead. This report is based on an analysis of results from a vast survey conducted with Chief Human Resources Officers, Chief Talent Officers, Chief Strategy Officers, and Chief Executive Officers of major global employers.
“As we enter 2025, the work landscape continues to evolve at a rapid pace. Major advancements, particularly in generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), are redefining industries and tasks across all sectors,” states Saadia Zahidi, a member of the World Economic Forum’s Executive Board, in its preface.
Overall, 86% of respondents believe that business transformation will primarily occur through AI by 2030. And the numbers confirm it: since the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022, AI investment flows have multiplied eightfold.
The limits of competence
Abdelkhak is a French-Moroccan based in the Somme department of France, where he manages several stores on behalf of a French retail group that also operates in the Moroccan market.
I sometimes come across two or three employees performing the same task between the aisles. In France, it’s much stricter. One worker can handle the tasks of three or four workers in Morocco, not to mention the checkout process, which is almost entirely automated »
During each visit to Morocco, he is surprised by the number of employees in Moroccan stores of comparable size to those he manages in France. « I sometimes come across two or three employees performing the same task simultaneously between the aisles. In France, it’s much stricter. One worker can handle the tasks of three or four workers in Morocco, not to mention the checkout process, which is almost entirely automated, » notes the retail professional.
He then adds nuance: “In Morocco, we have our own habits. The Moroccan consumer generally wants to be served, and fortunately, because it creates jobs, with low wages helping.”
“AI excels in areas like reading, writing, math, and multilingualism”
The World Economic Forum report provides insight into the tasks where artificial intelligence holds a clear advantage. “AI excels in areas such as reading, writing, math, and multilingualism, where it can help summarize complex information, draft texts, perform calculations, and translate. Over a quarter (28.5%) of the analyzed skills show moderate potential for substitution, suggesting that as technology advances, its substitution potential could further increase in the short term,” states the document.
“Skills rooted in human interaction – such as empathy, active listening, and sensory processing – as well as those related to manual dexterity, endurance, and precision, currently show no potential for substitution”
However, jobs requiring human interaction, manual dexterity, or sustained physical effort are spared from the technological threat. “Skills rooted in human interaction – such as empathy, active listening, and sensory processing – as well as those related to manual dexterity, endurance, and precision, currently show no potential for substitution due to their physical and deeply human components. These results highlight the practical limits of current generative AI (GenAI) models, which lack the physical capabilities needed to perform tasks involving manual interaction – though advances in robotics and the integration of GenAI into robotic systems could alter this reality in the future,” adds the report.
These categories are the least impacted by the evolution of generative AI. They include agricultural workers, van drivers and delivery personnel, software application developers, carpenters, construction workers, retail salespeople, and workers in food processing.
Conversely, jobs at risk are tied to repetitive tasks, such as secretarial and administrative support, bank tellers, and cashiers.
Written in French by Amine Belghazi, edited in English by Eric Nielson
