These Jobs Could Be Replaced by AI, Office Workers Must Be on Guard!

The advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) is once again sparking serious concerns in the global labour market. AI company Anthropic has released a new study mapping the extent to which this technology can take over human jobs, particularly in the office or white-collar sector.

In the report titled “Labor market impacts of AI: A new measure and early evidence,” researchers Maxim Massenkoff and Peter McCrory reveal that the use of AI in the workplace is still far below its actual potential.

They note that the adoption of AI that has occurred covers only a small portion of the capabilities that the technology can technically perform.

This phenomenon is reminiscent of major changes due to past technologies, where the invention of electricity eliminated several simple jobs such as street lamp lighters and lift operators. Then, computers replaced many administrative jobs like data entry clerks and telephone operators.

Now, AI is considered to have the potential to create a broader wave of disruption. Theoretically, AI can handle most tasks in various sectors, from business and finance, management, computer science, mathematics, law, to office administration.

However, in practice, its utilisation level remains limited. The researchers assess that this is influenced by several barriers, such as legal regulations, technological limitations, the need for additional equipment, and the continued need for human intervention to verify AI’s work results.

Nevertheless, these barriers are estimated to be temporary. As technology develops and adoption increases, the gap between AI’s capabilities and its use is projected to narrow further.

The study also introduces a new metric called “observed exposure,” which compares AI’s theoretical capabilities with actual use in professional work environments. “The results show that AI currently only touches a small portion of its potential,” the study states, as quoted from Fortune on Thursday, 2 April 2026.

Interestingly, the group of workers most at risk of being affected are not manual labourers, but professionals with higher education and large incomes. This group tends to have a higher likelihood of being women, having higher incomes, and possessing advanced degrees.