A Stanford University study indicates that the adoption of generative AI is already beginning to unevenly impact employment in the US, especially among the youngest.
The survey, based on records of millions of workers from ADP, the largest payroll software company in the US, suggests that 22- to 25-year-old professionals in sectors most exposed to automation, such as customer service, accounting and software development, have suffered a 13% drop in employment since 2022.
The least exposed professions and professionals
- In contrast, more experienced workers in these same areas and professionals of all ages in less exposed occupations, such as health and production supervision, had stability or even employment growth.
- Nursing assistant roles, for example, recorded faster expansion among young people than among older colleagues.
- According to the researchers, this is because AI tends to replace the “codified knowledge” acquired in formal education, but has more difficulty in replicating practical experience accumulated over time.
- Still, the study highlights that, in sectors where AI complements human labor, the effects on employment were discreet.
Beginners in the market suffering a greater impact
Although the report has not been peer-reviewed, it reinforces the concern that AI can reshape the labor market unequally, hitting beginners more strongly.
A Goldman Sachs economist had already pointed out similar signs, but noted that the full impact will only be felt when the adoption of the technology becomes broader.
fontes: olhar digital
