No, AI is not about to replace us: an investigation reveals what technology is really capable of

This study reveals the gap between what AI could do in place of humans and reality. Contrary to popular belief, the impact is significant.

AI has not (yet) revolutionized the world of work. This was admitted by the designers themselves: the American company Anthropic published a report on the effects of AI on employment, based on 2 million conversations with its generative AI model, Claude. It compares the portion of work replaceable by technology (in blue) and the actual situation (in red), revealing a considerable gap.

Among the sectors that use AI the most are computer and mathematical occupations, which account for 33% of adoption. However, this is low – almost a third – compared to what they could achieve, with 94% theoretical capacity. This observation also applies to administrative, sales, legal, and arts and media sectors.

Context: The study examines the impact of AI on employment and how actual adoption lags behind theoretical capabilities.

Fact Check: The study does not find a direct link between AI and increased unemployment but highlights a slowdown in hiring for certain professions.

Slowdown in Hiring

This discrepancy, the study explains, is attributed to the “limitations of the models.” To this are added “legal constraints, specific software requirements, human verification steps, or other obstacles,” according to the authors. In other words: technological capabilities far outpace their adoption, necessarily slowing down the recorded benefits. The group believes that utilization will reach its full potential in the long run, thanks to intensified deployment.

Additionally, Anthropic also investigated whether AI had increased unemployment rates in certain sectors, which they did not find. However, the researchers mention “indications suggesting a slowdown in hiring of young workers in exposed professions.” The investigation ultimately emphasizes that AI cannot replace a number of professions, particularly manual occupations.