The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has revealed that over 25% of jobs within its member countries are at risk of being easily automated in the upcoming artificial intelligence "revolution." 

Workers are increasingly concerned about the potential job losses to AI, according to the OECD's report released on Tuesday. 

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) consists of 38 member countries, encompassing primarily affluent nations along with a few emerging economies such as Mexico and Estonia.

Despite the emergence of AI, there is currently limited evidence of a substantial impact on jobs. This may be attributed to the fact that the AI revolution is still in its early phases and/or because companies are currently opting for voluntary workforce adjustments. 

The OECD suggests that any adverse effects on employment due to AI may require more time to become evident. On the other hand, artificial intelligence (AI) generates novel tasks and job opportunities, primarily for highly skilled workers equipped with the necessary competencies to effectively work with AI.

According to the 2023 Employment Outlook report by the Paris-based organisation, jobs that face the highest risk of automation constitute an average of 27% of the labour force in OECD countries. Eastern European countries, in particular, are identified as the most exposed to this risk.

The classification of jobs at the highest risk was based on those that involve utilizing more than 25 out of the 100 skills and abilities recognized by AI experts as easily automatable.

In the finance and manufacturing sectors across seven OECD countries, approximately 20% of workers expressed high levels of concern, stating that they were very or extremely worried about the possibility of job loss within the next decade.

“AI appears to be different from previous digital technological changes in several ways:  it significantly expands the range of tasks that can be automated beyond just routine, non-cognitive tasks;  AI is a general-purpose technology, meaning that nearly every sector and occupation will be affected; and the speed of development is unprecedented,” the report says. 

“Although AI has the potential to improve certain aspects of job quality, there are also reports that AI can heighten work intensity and increase stress. In addition, the use of AI in the workplace opens up, or amplifies, a whole set of ethical issues (Chapter 6), some of which can also negatively impact on job quality. For example, AI can change the way work is monitored or managed, which can increase perceived fairness, but poses risks to workers’ privacy and autonomy to execute tasks. AI can also introduce or perpetuate bias. In addition, there are concerns around transparency and explainability, as well as around accountability. While many of these issues are not new, AI has the potential to amplify them,” the report further said. 

The survey was conducted prior to the rapid rise of generative artificial intelligence, such as ChatGPT, which has seen significant advancements since then.

Despite concerns surrounding the introduction of AI, a significant majority of workers who are currently utilizing it stated that automation has actually reduced the level of danger or monotony in their jobs.

"How AI will ultimately impact workers in the workplace and whether the benefits will outweigh the risks, will depend on the policy actions we take," OECD secretary-general Mathias Cormann told a news conference.

"Governments must help workers to prepare for the changes and benefit from the opportunities AI will bring about," he added.