Solicitors with a head for heights may consider retraining for a new career after perusing the government's latest prediction about the impact of artificial intelligence. According to a study published by the Department for Education, 'roofers, roof tilers and slaters' are second only to 'sports players' in the list of jobs least likey to be replaced by artificial intelligence. 

Solicitors, by contrast, rank second on the list of occupations most exposed to the breakthrough AI technology large-language modelling, behind telephone salespersons. In the list of jobs most exposed to artificial intelligence technology in general, solicitors rank twelfth, three places behind 'legal professionals'. However lawyers may take comfort from the fact that the list is headed by management consultants, financial managers and chartered accountants. 

The report, produced by the Unit for Future Skills in the Department for Education, gives occupations an AI occupational exposure score, calculated with a formula that aggregates the abilities of AI technologies with the ability's prevelance and importance in a human occupation. One of the aims is to map training routes that lead to the most and least impacted jobs. 

While stressing that the exposure score is based on 'a number of assumptions' and should be interpreted with caution, it concludes that 'the occupations most exposed to AI include more professional occupations, particularly those associated with more clerical work and across finance, law and business management roles'.

The hallmarks of least affected occupations include manual work that is technically difficult, in unpredictable environments, and with lower wages reducing the incentive to automate.

 

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