It’s no surprise that artificial intelligence is disrupting the job market. Some roles will be automated entirely, while others will evolve as AI takes over repetitive tasks. The question isn’t just what jobs will AI replace—it’s how fast will it happen, and what does it mean for you?
AI is already embedded in everyday business operations. Chatbots handle customer service, machine learning models make financial decisions, and robots assist in manufacturing. While some industries will see minimal disruption, others are already replacing human workers with AI-powered systems.
In this article, you’ll find out which jobs AI is most likely to replace in 2025. Industry by industry, we’ll break down the roles at risk and explain why automation is taking over. If your job is on the list, don’t panic! AI is also creating new opportunities. The key is knowing how to adapt.
1. Customer Service and Support Centers
AI automates interactions that once required human agents. Chatbots and virtual assistants can now handle customer inquiries, troubleshoot issues, and even process simple transactions.
These AI-powered tools provide instant responses, work around the clock, and improve over time through machine learning. As businesses prioritize efficiency and cost savings, the need for large customer support teams is shrinking.
What jobs will AI replace in customer service and support?
Call center agents: AI chatbots handle more customer interactions, reducing the need for human representatives.
Live chat support representatives: Automated systems can resolve common customer issues through text-based conversations.
Help desk technicians (basic troubleshooting): AI-powered self-service portals guide customers through technical problems without human intervention.
The rise of predictive analytics is also changing how customer service works. AI can analyze customer data and anticipate issues before they arise. AI-driven personalization further reduces the need for human agents by tailoring responses based on past interactions. All of this makes support more efficient without requiring direct human input.
While AI is replacing many frontline support roles, it’s also creating new opportunities in AI management, chatbot optimization, and customer experience strategy.
The future of customer service will blend automation with human expertise, with AI handling routine tasks while humans focus on complex, high-value interactions.
2. Healthcare
AI is changing healthcare by automating tasks that once required human oversight. Machine learning models can analyze medical images, assist with diagnoses, and even suggest treatment plans.
These AI-powered systems process huge amounts of data quickly, which reduces human error and improves patient outcomes. Administrative and diagnostic roles are becoming increasingly automated.
What jobs will AI replace in healthcare?
Medical transcriptionists: AI-powered speech recognition software transcribes doctor-patient conversations with near-perfect accuracy, eliminating the need for manual transcription.
Radiology technicians: AI can analyze X-rays, MRIs, and CT scans faster and more accurately than human technicians, assisting doctors in diagnosing conditions earlier.
Appointment schedulers: AI-driven scheduling tools automate patient bookings, reducing wait times and optimizing hospital resources.
Beyond diagnostics and administration, AI plays a growing role in drug discovery and personalized medicine. Machine learning algorithms can identify potential treatments faster than traditional research methods. AI-driven analysis helps tailor medical treatments to individual patients.
While AI is automating many healthcare tasks, it’s also enhancing the capabilities of doctors, nurses, and researchers. The future of healthcare will rely on AI for efficiency, but human expertise will remain critical for patient care and decision-making.
3. Insurance
AI has changed the way the insurance industry works by automating risk assessment, fraud detection, and customer interactions. Models can help insurers make faster, more accurate decisions.
These AI-powered systems streamline operations, reduce costs, and minimize human error. As a result, many traditional insurance roles are being replaced or redefined.
What jobs will AI replace in insurance?
Claims adjusters: AI can assess damage from photos and videos, process claims automatically, and determine payouts with minimal human intervention.
Insurance underwriters: AI algorithms evaluate risk based on customer data. This can replace much of the manual underwriting processes.
Customer service representatives: AI-powered chatbots handle inquiries, process policy changes, and answer common questions without human agents.
Beyond automation, AI improves fraud detection by identifying suspicious patterns in claims. It also personalizes policy recommendations by analyzing customer behavior and historical data.
While AI is reshaping the insurance industry, human expertise is still needed for complex claims, regulatory oversight, and customer trust. Insurers that integrate AI with humans will gain efficiency without losing a human touch where it matters most.
4. Finance
AI automates transactions, risk assessment, and fraud detection. Machine learning models can identify trends and make predictions faster than human analysts.This improves accuracy, reduces costs, and enhances decision-making.
What jobs will AI replace in finance?
Bank tellers: AI-powered ATMs and digital banking apps handle deposits, withdrawals, and account management. This reduces the need for in-person tellers.
Loan officers: AI evaluates creditworthiness using financial history and alternative data. Some banks are even using it to automate loan approvals and eliminate manual review processes.
Entry-level financial analysts: AI can analyze market trends, forecast risks, and generate reports. These tasks once required junior analysts.
Additionally, AI enhances fraud detection by identifying suspicious transactions in real time. Algorithmic trading systems can make split-second investment decisions, which further reduces the need for human traders.
5. Manufacturing
AI can automate production lines, improve quality control, and optimize supply chains. These tools can detect defects, predict equipment failures, and enhance efficiency. This all has the potential to minimize errors, lower costs, and increase productivity.
What jobs will AI replace in manufacturing?
Assembly line workers: AI-driven robots perform repetitive tasks with precision. This means factories will need fewer human operators.
Quality control inspectors: Computer vision systems detect defects faster and more accurately than manual inspections. Predictive analytics can identify potential problems before they become serious.
Warehouse pickers: AI-powered robotics and automated inventory systems handle storage, retrieval, and order fulfillment. This already occurs in many Amazon facilities.
While AI replaces many roles, skilled technicians remain essential to oversee automated systems, troubleshoot malfunctions, and program AI-driven machinery. The future of manufacturing blends automation with human expertise.
6. Retail and Ecommerce
AI has the power to automate customer interactions, optimize inventory management, and enhance shopping experiences. Machine learning systems personalize recommendations, predict demand, and streamline operations. These AI-driven systems improve efficiency, cut costs, and minimize errors.
What jobs will AI replace in retail and e-commerce?
Cashiers: Self-checkout systems and AI-powered payment kiosks process transactions without human assistance. These already exist all over the world, but we’ll start to see them in new places, like restaurants and service stations.
Stock clerks: Automated inventory management systems track, restock, and organize products with minimal manual labor. All of this can be coordinated with delivery systems so replacement products are delivered without human involvement.
Sales associates (basic inquiries): AI chatbots and virtual assistants answer questions, recommend products, and assist customers online.
AI also plays a role in predictive pricing, targeted marketing, and personalized shopping experiences. Ecommerce platforms use AI to analyze purchasing patterns and tailor product suggestions.
7. Education
AI is capable of automating grading, personalizing learning, and streamlining administrative tasks. They can adapt to student needs, provide tailored instruction, and real-time feedback. These AI-driven systems reduce workloads for educators, improve student engagement, and enhance learning outcomes.
What jobs will AI replace in education?
Test graders: AI-powered software evaluates multiple-choice and written responses, which means less human labor to score students.
Tutors (standardized test prep): Adaptive learning platforms can provide personalized instruction, which reduces the needs for human tutors for test preparation.
Administrative coordinators: AI automates scheduling, enrollment, and student record management. Schools will need fewer administrative staff.
This isn’t to say that AI will replace teachers, but just the repetitive tasks. Human educators remain essential for mentoring, curriculum development, and classroom interaction. The future of education relies on AI for efficiency while preserving the irreplaceable role of teachers who foster creativity and critical thinking.
8. Transportation and Logistics
AI has the ability to optimize route planning, automate deliveries, and manage entire fleets of trucks, delivery vehicles, and machinery. It can predict traffic patterns, reduce fuel consumption, and improve delivery efficiency. The result is lower costs, increase speed, and minimize human error.
What jobs will AI replace in transportation and logistics?
Truck drivers (long-haul): Autonomous vehicles navigate highways. This reduces the need for human drivers on long routes. AI-driven vehicles can also operate for longer hours than humans.
Delivery drivers (local routes): AI-powered drones and self-driving delivery robots handle last-mile logistics. The last mile is considered one of the hardest and most expensive portions of the delivery process, so there’s a lot of money to be saved here.
Freight coordinators: AI optimizes shipping routes and schedules, which eliminates the need for manual logistics planning.
Predictive analytics is useful in transportation and logistics as well. It can reduce breakdowns and operational disruptions. Smart logistics systems adjust delivery routes in real-time to create faster and more cost-effective shipments.
9. Energy and Utilities
AI can optimize energy distribution, automate maintenance, and help engineers manage their infrastructure. It can even predict equipment failures, balance supply and demand, and improve efficiency of utilities. As automation advances, many traditional roles disappear.
What jobs will AI replace in energy and utilities?
Power plant operators: AI monitors and adjusts energy output in real time. This means less need for manual oversight.
Meter readers: Smart meters automatically track energy usage. Utility companies will need fewer people to manage in-person readings.
Field technicians (routine maintenance): Predictive maintenance systems can detect issues before they occur. This means fewer human inspections.
Furthermore, AI can work with renewable energy sources and smart grids. They can optimize how energy is distributed across the grid. They can even analyze weather patterns and consumption trends to improve energy efficiency.
10. Legal
AI can automate document review, accelerate legal research, and enhance contract analysis. Machine learning scans vast legal databases, identifies relevant precedents, and predicts case outcomes.These systems reduce costs and improve accuracy.
What jobs will AI replace in legal?
Paralegals: AI-powered research tools analyze case law, draft legal documents, and summarize contracts faster than humans.
Legal researchers: AI can eliminate manual research tasks, by scanning legal databases, identifying relevant statutes, and cross-referencing case history.
Document reviewers: AI can automatically review and flag key clauses in contracts. This requires less human oversight.
Furthermore, AI can enhance compliance monitoring and risk assessment, which helps law firms and corporate legal teams identify potential liabilities. Predictive analytics can improve legal strategy and decision-making by estimating case outcomes.
While AI replaces many repetitive legal tasks, that doesn’t mean it can replace all lawyers. We will still need attorneys for courtroom representation, legal negotiations, and complex case analysis.
11. Entertainment and Media
AI has one of the most profound effects on entertainment content. It generates content, personalizes recommendations, and automates production workflows. It can even analyze audience preferences, enhance video and audio quality, and create music, articles, and visual art. These systems speed up content creation, reduce production costs, and optimize distribution.
What jobs will AI replace in entertainment and media?
News reporters (basic articles): AI-generated journalism produces summaries, financial reports, and sports recaps with minimal human input.
Video editors (basic cuts and enhancements): AI-powered editing tools automate color correction, scene transitions, and post-production effects.
Graphic designers (template-based work): AI creates logos, social media graphics, and marketing materials using predefined styles.
Content personalization is set to grow as well. AI systems can tailor recommendations based on user behavior and trends. AI-driven platforms generate scripts, compose music, and even assist in film production by optimizing shot selection and special effects.
Does this mean entertainment won’t need humans? Absolutely not. Human creativity remains vital for storytelling, branding, and high-quality artistic production. The future of entertainment blends AI-driven efficiency with human ingenuity to create more engaging and dynamic content.
The Rise of AI Agents and Autonomous Workflows
AI is evolving beyond passive tools that require constant human input. The next phase of automation belongs to autonomous AI agents—systems that act autonomously, make decisions, and execute complex tasks across industries.
Unlike traditional AI models that respond to prompts, AI agents work independently, learning from their environment and adapting their behavior in real time.
These agents already impact industries like customer service, finance, logistics, and IT operations, where they reduce costs, increase efficiency, and accelerate decision-making. They analyze data, predict outcomes, and take action without waiting for human approval.
In some cases, AI agents collaborate with other AI systems, forming multi-agent networks capable of solving large-scale problems.
What Makes AI Agents Different?
Unlike rule-based automation, AI agents are designed to think and act with minimal oversight. Their defining traits include:
- Autonomous decision-making: AI agents assess information, predict outcomes, and take action, whether approving a loan, adjusting a supply chain, or responding to cybersecurity threats.
- Cross-platform execution: These agents interact with multiple systems, pulling data from different sources and making informed decisions across an entire workflow.
- Self-learning capabilities: AI agents improve over time, refining their strategies based on past outcomes and new data.
This level of autonomy presents significant opportunities, but they can also present some serious risks.
The Opportunities and Risks of AI Agents
Businesses that deploy AI agents gain efficiency and scalability. In finance, for example, these systems can monitor transactions, detect fraud, and execute trades at a speed no human could match.
In healthcare, AI agents can analyze medical records, predict patient risks, and recommend personalized treatment plans. In logistics, they optimize shipping routes, manage supply chains, and oversee fleet maintenance.
However, with this power comes risk. Security and ethical concerns surrounding AI agents are growing. These systems often require access to sensitive data. This raises concerns about privacy, bias, and liability.
An AI agent acting autonomously can make decisions with unintended consequences, such as errors that could lead to financial losses, misdiagnoses, or even legal disputes. Without clear governance and oversight, AI agents may create more problems than they solve.
Preparing for an AI-Agent Future
The shift toward autonomous AI isn’t a question of if, but when. By 2028, analysts predict that at least 15% of daily work decisions will be made autonomously by AI agents (Gartner, Top Strategic Technology Trends for 2025). Businesses must adapt by:
- Establishing guardrails, including clear legal and ethical guidelines to control AI decision-making.
- Enhancing security measures so AI agents are protected from cyber threats and data breaches.
- Redefining human roles by training employees to work alongside AI agents rather than being replaced by them.
AI agents won’t eliminate human oversight, but they will change how work is done. The future workforce will be shaped by how well businesses integrate AI’s autonomous capabilities with human expertise, ensuring efficiency without sacrificing control.
How to Adapt and Future-Proof Your Career
AI is changing the workforce, but it isn’t replacing the need for human expertise. The best way to stay ahead isn’t to fear automation. It’s to develop skills AI can’t replicate and learn how to work alongside it.
Think Critically, Stay Creative
AI analyzes data and automates tasks, but it doesn’t think outside the box. Problem-solving, innovation, and strategic decision-making set you apart. Creativity—whether in writing, design, or business strategy—remains an essential skill that AI struggles to master.
Strengthen Your Human Skills
Emotional intelligence, leadership, and communication define human interactions. AI can simulate conversation, but it can’t build trust, negotiate effectively, or lead teams. Jobs that require relationship-building, empathy, and collaboration will always need a human touch.
Work With AI, Not Against It
The best professionals won’t compete with AI. They’ll use it to their advantage. Learn how AI-driven tools enhance productivity in your field. Whether it’s automating routine tasks, improving data analysis, or personalizing customer experiences, mastering AI tools makes you indispensable.
AI won’t replace those who adapt. The future belongs to those who combine technology with uniquely human skills.
Where to Start Your AI Strategy
While we’ve highlighted industries most likely to be impacted by AI, the reality is every industry will integrate at least one AI solution. Whether the solution is as simple as proof-reading written materials or as complex as running risk assessments on expanding into new markets, every business will need to prepare for artificial intelligence.
We’ve seen the majority of companies — regardless of industry — have already begun their AI strategy. Many companies are already discovering what jobs AI will replace.
The first step of adopting an AI strategy is to ensure your organization’s knowledge can be accessed by this new technology. If you can’t navigate your knowledge base, your AI solution won’t be able to either. You’ll also want to ensure the outputs from an AI are controlled, transparent, and trusted — otherwise you’ll run into common problems such as hallucinations or security concerns.
Shelf specializes in AI-empowered knowledge management solutions. If you’re interested in starting your journey into AI, chat with our team about how to get started.
