As a person who writes about AI for a living, the irony of me being worried about AI taking my job is not lost on me.
I’ve been keeping track of the statistics tied to that worrying trend of humans losing their jobs to AI, which is why I’ve morphed into a realist who realizes my career is in danger of being overtaken by chatbots (seeing certain sites dole out articles with hints pointing at them being written by AI is disheartening). According to sociologist and AI researcher Jeffrey C. Dixon, a YouGov survey he conducted with 1,250 US workers between July 30 and August 4 of 2026 found that only 3% said they had lost a job to AI since 2023.
While that number is a bit reassuring that the job market isn’t in too much danger currently due to AI, these two sobering stats from Tenet are cause for concern: 92 million jobs may be replaced globally by 2030 due to AI and other labor shifts, plus 47% of US workers are at risk of automation over the next decade.
With all that in mind, I approached four chatbots with a question: “Rank the 10 jobs most likely to be replaced by AI next.” I was shocked to see them all pick one role in particular.
The one job all four chatbots agreed on
After asking ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and Perplexity the same question, I first took note of the one job that each chatbot listed among its 10 chosen roles that no other chatbot selected.
ChatGPT only mentioned the role of a graphic designer; Gemini only brought up the role of basic market research & financial data analyst; Claude only included broadcast announcers and radio DJs among its picks (I hope that never happens!); Perplexity only selected file clerks & records-management assistants.
As for which job they all agreed on as the one that is most susceptible to AI taking it from humans, it was a role that I’d rather not see filled by nothing but bots over the phone:
- ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and Perplexity: Customer service representative, Tier-1 customer service representative, customer service representatives and basic customer service representatives.
Perplexity offered the best explanation as to why AI is capable of replacing humans for that position and compressing the responsibilities attached to it: Chatbots and voice agents can answer routine FAQs, check order status, reset accounts, schedule appointments, process simple returns, and triage tickets around the clock.
While that may be true, I’d much rather deal with a human who fulfills such a role. Chase Bank’s most recent commercial, which makes a promise to rely on old-fashioned humans to handle customer service inquiries in the age of AI, showcases the sort of reality I’d prefer to live in.
The other roles that popped up the most among each chatbot
Besides the one role that every chatbot put on its list, a few of them also agreed on the same job that another chatbot didn’t mention at all:
- ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity: Data-entry clerk, data entry clerks & digitization specialists and data-entry keyers & document-processing clerks.
- ChatGPT and Gemini: Telemarketer and basic telemarketers & inbound sales representatives.
- ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity: Bookkeeping/accounting clerk, routine bookkeepers & accounts payable clerks and bookkeeping, payroll, & accounts-payable clerks.
- ChatGPT, Claude and Perplexity: Copywriter/content writer, writers & authors and entry-level content writers for routine copy.
- ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity: Paralegal/legal assistant, paralegals & legal researchers and legal secretaries & routine paralegal support.
- ChatGPT and Gemini: Junior software developer, entry-level/junior software developers.
- Gemini and Claude: Translators & localization clerks and interpreters & translators.
At the top of each chatbot’s ranked list, ChatGPT chose customer service representatives, Gemini selected data entry clerks & digitization specialists, Claude picked interpreters & translators and Perplexity settled on data-entry keyers & document-processing clerks.
Final thoughts
I knew the role of writers would pop up on any of the chatbots’ lists for jobs most in danger of being filled by AI and leaving humans behind.
But as someone who’s doing his best to learn about the ins and outs of AI, I’m taking the initiative to acquire an extra skill set that may assist me in the future. As for doctors, dentists, plumbers, electricians, etc., I just can’t envision humanoid robots getting strong and smart enough to completely take over those positions. It’s still alarming to see the jobs ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and Perplexity brought up on their lists—here’s hoping human ingenuity becomes more appreciated during an age where AI is injected into so many facets of our lives.
Gemini’s closing statement in response to my request summed up my outlook on it and the other chatbots’ picks quite well:
The common factor across all these roles is predictability. Roles reliant on structured rules, data retrieval, standard text generation, or routine transactions are being automated. Conversely, jobs requiring physical dexterity, complex emotional intelligence, high-stakes strategic accountability, or manual trade skills (such as healthcare providers, electricians, plumbers, and senior strategists) remain far more resilient.
Follow Tom's Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Subscribe to Tom's Guide on YouTube and follow us on TikTok.
More from Tom’s Guide
- Meet the mass-produced humanoid robot that wants to steal your face
- Snickers made a digital candy bar that claims to fix ChatGPT — I put it to the test
- 'The danger isn't that AI becomes conscious. The danger is that we redefine consciousness so narrowly that a machine appears to qualify': here’s what this expert physician thinks about the future of humanity and AI
