Rabat – A new study from the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA) reveals significant concerns among India’s white-collar workforce about the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on their jobs.
Released today, the report titled “Labour Force Perception about AI: A Study on Indian White Collar Workers” highlights the growing apprehension that AI could disrupt employment in sectors traditionally considered secure. The Indian Express, which had early access to the study, provided an overview of its main findings.
According to the study by the IIMA’s Brij Disa Centre for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, 68% of participants surveyed expect AI to partially or fully automate their jobs within the next five years.
This figure indicates that fears surrounding AI are more pronounced than previously thought. Additionally, 40% of respondents believe their current skills will become obsolete, underlining a potential urgent need for reskilling and adaptation.
The study provides a sector-specific analysis, showing that people working in the education and healthcare industries are particularly concerned about AI’s impact. In the education sector, 78% of employees believe their jobs will be automated, while 70% of healthcare workers share this concern.
Interestingly, while these sectors anticipate significant automation, their expectations for AI-driven job creation are comparatively low. Only 52% of education sector workers and 42% of healthcare employees believe AI will generate new job opportunities in their fields.
This disparity in expectations reflects a broader uncertainty about the future of work in an AI-driven economy. The report notes that while some industries, such as information technology and manufacturing, are actively training employees in the use of AI, others, including retail, trade, and infrastructure, are lagging.
This uneven adoption could lead to a fragmented job market where some sectors thrive, and others struggle to keep pace.
Read also: Study: Most Moroccan Professionals Unprepared for Artificial Intelligence
The IIMA study is based on comprehensive data collection, including surveys of 550 employees across five major cities, an analysis of 70,000 job vacancies, and interviews with 31 executives from diverse industries. This extensive research provides a glimpse into the white-collar workforce’s perception of AI in India, reflecting both hope and apprehension.
Zooming out from India, the findings have broader implications, especially for countries in the Global South, such as Morocco, which are still transitioning to knowledge-based economies.
In these regions, the integration of AI presents both opportunities and challenges. On one hand, AI offers the potential to leapfrog developmental stages and drive economic growth. On the other hand, there is a risk that unequal access to AI training and technology could further widen the already wide economic divide.
As AI continues to reshape the global job market, the IIMA study reflects the fears of India’s white-collar workers, which reflects a broader anxiety that is likely to be echoed across the developing world.
