Artificial intelligence will affect at least 40% of jobs worldwide, according to the IMF

AI will affect 40% of jobs worldwide, and even 60% of jobs in countries with advanced economies, according to a report published on Sunday (14 January) by the International Monetary Fund. The study is also concerned about the risk of dropping out for the poorest countries.

People reflect in the window of a hotel on the Davos Promenade with a slogan about Artificial Intelligence (AI) next to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Monday, Jan. 15, 2024. © Markus Schreiber / AP

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Developed countries will be the most affected by artificial intelligence, but they are also best placed to harness its benefits. This is the main conclusion of the IMF study, which indicates that Singapore, the United States and Canada are the countries best prepared for this new industrial revolution.

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Worldwide, 40% of jobs will be affected. And the more skilled you have, the more that will be the case. Thus, for advanced economies and some emerging countries, 60% of jobs will be affected," IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said on Sunday (14 January). She clarified that the impacts mentioned are not necessarily negative, as it can also result in "an increase in your income".

According to the report, productivity gains – if high – could result in high wage inequality: with a negative effect on the middle classes, while employees with already high incomes could see their wages "increase more than proportionate" to the productivity gain that AI would allow them to provide. Older workers in particular will pay the highest price, as the development of AI will require new professional skills.

North-South digital divide that will widen

Another risk, and not the least, is that the digital divide will widen between the countries of the North and the South, which will not benefit from future innovations. This is due to the lack of infrastructure and skills of workers, but also to the absence of institutional frameworks in the least developed countries. The fund calls for a "focus on lower-income countries".

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We need to move fast, to enable them to take advantage of the opportunities offered by AI. The real question will be to put aside fears about AI and focus on how to get the best benefit out of it," the IMF chief insisted. Especially since in a context of slowing the pace of global growth, "we desperately need" elements capable of boosting productivity.

Read alsoIs artificial intelligence a threat to jobs?

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