Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing industries and changing business operations in the present and future workplace.
A Statistics Canada release published September 3, 2024, contrasted the technological changes in the past that impacted automation and less educated workers doing manual tasks. AI involves highly sophisticated algorithms that model language, perform non-routine tasks, and excel at cognitive tasks performed by highly educated workers.
The study highlights three types of jobs: those highly exposed to AI but combining human tasks and AI capabilities, those highly exposed and could be replaced by AI, and those not highly exposed to AI.
Workers whose jobs are at risk and can be replaced by AI are anxious and concerned, but several sectors and roles are expected to thrive or remain essential during the AI boom.
AI’s Impact on the Canadian Labor Market
The study says companies may not immediately replace humans for financial, legal, and institutional reasons. In August 2023, Canada’s third largest union for federal workers, the Canadian Association of Professional Employees, concerned about members’ jobs, urged caution on using AI in the workplace.
However, a BBC article suggested that workers will evolve and coexist with emerging technology, and employees willing to learn will adapt and reap the benefits.
The reality is that automation impacts industries such as manufacturing, retail, and customer service.
The Statistics Canada study estimates that, in May 2021, 50 percent of workers with a bachelor’s degree or higher held jobs highly exposed to AI, four times the rate of 13 percent for workers with a high school diploma or less.
However, in years to come, all employees will see a rapid evolution in how technology affects their professional lives, and businesses and workers will have to adapt.
AI technologies being developed and used in Canada can help improve the quality of life and grow the economy. AI-driven tools are opening possibilities that were unthinkable a short time ago.
AI is in unlikely sectors, like advancing precision agriculture, including technologies for managing, monitoring, and harvesting crops. It is also used to develop new smart products, like autonomous vehicles and personalized services, and enrich language processing technologies, including translation and text-to-speech tools.
Opportunities and Challenges
AI is used to improve health care, including through advanced diagnostics, home care services, and new drug treatments. It is also used in predictive care and to streamline administrative tasks.
In education, AI is transforming but not replacing teaching. Educators will adopt new tools to enhance the learning experience at all levels and use them in special education classes, where AI-powered assistive technologies can break down barriers and empower individuals with disabilities.
AI-related roles such as data scientists, machine learning specialists and software developers will remain in high demand as AI evolves.
According to a 2020 Statistics Canada release, as digitization replaces humans in technological advancements and cerebral tasks, these workers may not lose their jobs but experience a job transformation and perform different tasks.
However, a Globe report said airport screening staff feel vulnerable to what they see as an AI threat. Artificial Intelligence can identify and flag someone for carrying prohibited items or scrutinize a passenger’s identity using facial recognition technology. The Canadian Air Transport Security Authority has been pushing to accelerate the use of AI at airports.
Workers can adapt with lifelong learning and upskilling as an alternative to job displacement. Digital literacy and technical skills can only thrive in an AI-driven future—some government programs and educational initiatives in Canada are already helping workers adapt.
Prospects and Policy Implications
The government can help workers stay in the workforce by implementing policies that prevent job displacement and promote new job creation. Statistics Canada’s policy recommendations include AI governance, ethical regulation, and encouraging innovation in research and development.
In a 2023 IBM study surveying 3,000 executives on generative AI, 75% of respondents said it would give their businesses a competitive edge, and 43% use AI to make strategic business decisions.Â
But not all workers are ready to use AI. In the IBM study, 57% of the executives said they had reservations about data security, while 48% said they were also concerned about bias.Â
Workers across industries—from education to law—are using AI technology such as ChatGPT to automate their workflows, saving time and boosting productivity.Â
Many workers will require re-training and other learning opportunities sponsored by their employers. A 2023 survey conducted by Jobs for the Future’s Center for Artificial Intelligence & the Future of Work (JFF) showed most respondents believe they will need new skills to compete in an AI-driven workforce. Younger workers are particularly pressured, with 66 percent of Gen Z and millennial respondents saying they needed to hone and update their skill sets to maintain a competitive edge.
AI is transforming the labour market, and workers can embrace change through upskilling and adapting. The outlook will be bright if humans and AI coexist in the future job market and leverage human creativity, empathy, and critical thinking where machines fall short.