Jobs of the future · 6 min read
How exposed is my job to AI?
About one in four jobs worldwide has some exposure to generative AI. Clerical work is most exposed. Check your own job task by task, not by title.
The short answer
The International Labour Organization's 2025 index finds about one in four jobs worldwide is in an occupation with some exposure to generative AI. Clerical work is the most exposed, followed by some roles in media, software and finance. Exposure is higher in richer countries, about 34% of jobs against 11% in low-income ones. The ILO stresses that exposure means tasks could change, and that transformation is more likely than replacement. To check your own job, list your weekly tasks and mark which ones AI tools already do well.
On this page 4 sections
What the ILO found
- About one in four jobs worldwide is in an occupation with some generative AI exposure.
- Clerical support work is the most exposed group.
- Exposure is about 34% of jobs in high-income countries and 11% in low-income countries.
- The authors expect most exposed jobs to be transformed rather than replaced.
Check your own job
- Look up your occupation on O*NET OnLine and read its task list.
- Add the tasks you do that aren't listed.
- Mark each one: AI does it well today, AI helps, or AI doesn't help.
- Count roughly how your week splits across the three.
| Task (customer service) | AI today |
|---|---|
| Answering common questions | Does it well |
| Writing replies to complaints | Helps |
| Calming an angry customer on the phone | Doesn't help much |
| Spotting a problem affecting many customers | Helps, needs a person to act |
What to do with the result
If most of your week is in the first column, start moving now: offer to take on the tasks in the other columns, and test a role next door where they're the main work. If most is in the third, learn the tools that help with the rest so you're the person who uses them well.
Questions people ask
- What does AI exposure mean?
- That some of the tasks in a job could be done or sped up by AI tools. It doesn't mean the job disappears. A highly exposed job may change a lot while still needing a person.
- Which jobs are least exposed to AI?
- Jobs built on physical work in varied places (trades, care, many healthcare roles) and jobs built on relationships and accountability in person.
- Are women's jobs more exposed?
- On average, yes, because women are more often in clerical roles. The ILO found the highest-exposure category covers 4.7% of women's employment against 2.4% of men's.
- Is any job fully safe from AI?
- No job is untouched; most will gain some AI tools. The useful question is which of your tasks remain and whether you enjoy those.
- What should I do if my job is highly exposed?
- Move towards the tasks in your job that depend on judgement, people or presence, learn the AI tools used in your field, and test one adjacent role.
Exercises are practice, not evidence of career fit or a qualification. How to read our guides and report a correction.
Sources
- Generative AI and jobs: a refined global index of occupational exposure (Working Paper 140, 2025) · International Labour Organization and NASK
- Customer service representatives: job outlook · U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook
- O*NET OnLine · U.S. Department of Labor
How this page is written
Sources support the factual background, not a guarantee that an exercise predicts career fit. Fictional practice material is labelled. Dates record content updates; no independent expert review is implied. More about OffLadder.