IMF Chief: AI Will Impact 60% of Jobs in Advanced Economies Like United States

AI is set to significantly transform the job landscape in advanced economies like the United States, affecting an estimated 60 percent of jobs, according to Kristalina Georgieva, the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

France 24 reports that Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), recently predicted that Artificial Intelligence will significantly impact the job market in advanced economies. The IMF report suggests that approximately 60 percent of jobs in these economies are likely to be influenced by AI technologies. However, AI’s influence is not limited to advanced economies only; according to the IMF, AI will have a global impact, with varying degrees of influence across different economic areas.

WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 04: IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva speaks during a joint press conference with World Bank Group President David Malpass on the recent developments of the coronavirus, COVID-19, and the organizations’ responses on March 4, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images)

“Advanced economies, some emerging markets, are going to see 60 percent of their jobs impacted, and then it goes down to 40 percent for emerging markets, 26 percent for low-income countries,” Georgieva detailed, highlighting how nearly 40 percent of jobs worldwide are at risk due to automation and AI integration.

Georgieva further explained that even jobs that are safe from being replaced by AI may face a major shift in how they’re performed: “Your job may disappear altogether — not good — or artificial intelligence may enhance your job so you actually will be more productive and your income level may go up.”

The IMF report also highlights specific challenges that emerging markets and developing economies face — while these regions are less affected initially by AI but also risk missing out on the potential benefits, potentially widening the existing digital and economic divides. This poses a significant concern for older workers who are more likely to be negatively affected by these technological shifts.

Georgieva emphasized the importance of policy intervention in response to the AI revolution, stating: “We must focus on helping low-income countries in particular to move faster to be able to catch the opportunities that artificial intelligence will present,.” Georgieva noted that many should get used to the possibility of AI influence, stating: “In other words, embrace it, it is coming. So artificial intelligence, yes, is a little scary. But it is also a tremendous opportunity for everyone.”

Dirty Jobs star Mike Rowe commented last year that AI is most likely to impact white collar workers. As Breitbart News previously reported, Rowe said “I’ve been hearing for years that robots are going to wreck blue-collar work. Turns out AI is coming for your white-collar job.”

Rowe added:

Rowe recently expressed his opinion during an interview on The Big Money Show that the growth of AI in the workplace will not jeopardize blue-collar jobs. He argued that these roles require particular skill sets that are difficult to replicate digitally. “People used to say that the robots are going to destroy skilled labor. Well, not really,” Rowe said. “I haven’t seen any plumbing robots. I haven’t seen any electrician robots. And I don’t think we’re going to see any artificial intelligence in the skilled trades to that degree.”