KUCHING: Around 30 per cent of jobs worldwide are expected to be replaced by artificial intelligence (AI) by the year 2030.
Author of ‘Our Final Invention’, James Barrat, said the rapid increase in AI adoption is expected to have a major impact on the global job market, including in high-skilled sectors that were previously considered safe from automation.
“By 2030, about 30 per cent of jobs will be taken over by AI. In fact, an international investment firm, Goldman Sachs, also projects that up to 300 million jobs worldwide could be replaced by AI… almost equal to the population of the United States,” he said.
He said this while delivering his conference keynote titled ‘The Intelligence Explosion: When AI Beats Humans at Everything’ at the 8th International Digital Economy Conference Sarawak (IDECS25) which was also attended by Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg, here today.
He added that IBM has eliminated 8,000 jobs in the human resources field, while several other companies have begun automating administrative work and daily operations using intelligent systems.
He explained that this situation is worrying because many entry-level white-collar jobs – such as clerks, secretaries, taxi drivers, and warehouse workers – are disappearing, thus closing early opportunities for new workers to build their professional careers.
“These entry-level jobs are important as stepping stones in a career. If those jobs disappear, how can someone move up to the next level?” he asked.
He also rejected claims that new jobs will replace old ones in equal measure, stressing that for now, “the jobs lost far outnumber those being created”.
“AI developers often say workers can be retrained for new roles, but in reality, this process is not easy.
“If a manual labourer loses their job, can they really be retrained to become an AI programmer or a virtual reality designer? Not everyone has the same skills or access,” he explained.
Barrat stressed that AI does not replicate the qualities that make humans unique, such as empathy, creativity, moral judgment, and emotional intelligence.
“Jobs that require a human touch – such as childcare, education, therapy, social work, art, and craftsmanship – will remain relevant,” he said.
