Microsoft reveals the 40 jobs most exposed to AI

Microsoft Research has published one of the most data-driven snapshots of how generative AI is reshaping work.

By analyzing more than 200,000 real-world Copilot conversations (January to September 2024), researchers estimated how often people delegate job-related tasks to AI—and how successfully the tool completes them.

They then mapped those patterns to the official U.S. occupational database to build an AI applicability score for each profession.

The results are dominated by “information work” roles—jobs built on writing, summarizing, translating, researching, and communicating.

Unsurprisingly, interpreters and translators rank first, followed by roles tied to analysis and content production.

Meanwhile, jobs requiring physical interaction with people, tools, or environments remain far less exposed because today’s AI is primarily digital.

The study also underlines a crucial difference between delegation (AI fully handling tasks) and collaboration (AI accelerating existing workflows). In some fields, AI is taking over entire task blocks; in others, it mainly boosts productivity without replacing human expertise.

The full ranking: 40 jobs with the highest AI applicability

Rank	Occupation	AI applicability score	Estimated US jobs
1	Interpreters and Translators	0.492	51,560
2	Historians	0.462	3,040
3	Writers and Authors	0.454	49,450
4	Sales Representatives (Services)	0.449	1,142,020
5	CNC Machine Tool Programmers	0.419	28,030
6	Radio Announcers and DJs	0.409	25,070
7	Customer Service Representatives	0.408	2,858,710
8	Telemarketers	0.404	81,580
9	Political Scientists	0.391	5,580
10	Mathematicians	0.386	2,220
11	News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists	0.383	45,020
12	Passenger Attendants (Cabin Crew)	0.376	20,190
13	Technical Writers	0.373	47,970
14	Concierges	0.372	41,020
15	Proofreaders and Copy Markers	0.369	5,490
16	Editors	0.367	95,700
17	Business Teachers (Postsecondary)	0.367	82,980
18	Public Relations Specialists	0.365	275,550
19	Data Scientists	0.357	192,710
20	Personal Financial Advisors	0.355	272,190
21	Web Developers	0.353	85,350
22	Advertising Sales Agents	0.353	108,100
23	Management Analysts	0.353	838,140
24	Geographers	0.352	1,460
25	Brokerage Clerks	0.350	48,060
26	Market Research Analysts	0.350	846,370
27	Economics Teachers (Postsecondary)	0.349	12,210
28	Public Safety Telecommunicators	0.346	97,820
29	Counter and Rental Clerks	0.344	390,300
30	Telephone Operators	0.342	4,600
31	Library Science Teachers (Postsecondary)	0.341	4,220
32	Tax Examiners and Collectors (and Revenue Agents)	0.340	50,250
33	Political Science Teachers (Postsecondary)	0.339	17,090
34	Philosophy and Religion Teachers (Postsecondary)	0.338	20,320
35	Models	0.337	3,090
36	Mathematical Science Occupations (Other)	0.336	4,320
37	Computer User Support Specialists	0.334	689,700
38	Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers (Postsecondary)	0.334	13,390
39	Social Workers (Family and Children)	0.334	352,160
40	Foreign Language and Literature Teachers (Postsecondary)	0.333	20,820