- Survey of 3,034 employees.
- Other concerned workers include legal researchers and paralegals.
- Infographic included.
By now, most professionals have read at least one think-piece warning them that AI might be coming for their jobs. But unlike past waves of technological disruption, which largely hit blue-collar industries first, this time it’s white-collar roles that seem to be in AI’s crosshairs.
From copywriters to customer service reps, paralegals to financial analysts, workers in traditionally “safe” office jobs are now facing real questions about their long-term career stability.
Careerminds, a global outplacement and career development firm, carried out a survey of 3,034 employees to determine which professions are most anxious about being replaced by AI. Here are the top 10 professions most worried about being replaced by AI in Illinois:
1. Data Entry Clerks
2. Legal Researchers
3. Paralegals
4. Loan Officers
5. SEO Specialists
6. Executive Assistants
7. Compliance Officers
8. Copywriters
9. Insurance Underwriters
10. Market Researchers
Infographic showing panicked professions by state
Careerminds also delved deeper into workers’ concerns about AI job replacement.
How would you feel if AI could do your entire job tomorrow?
Turns out, people are torn between dread and daydream. The most common response? Fear. 38% of workers said they’d feel scared – not just about losing their income, but about what comes next. An additional 27% said they’d feel betrayed, as if their years of hard work had been tossed aside by a line of code. And yet, not everyone sees a pink slip as a tragedy – 19% said they’d be excited to finally pursue a passion project, and 17% admitted they’d be relieved just to get some rest. But what if the company sweetened the deal?
Careerminds asked: If your employer replaced half your team with AI and gave you a raise, would you be on board?
- 49% said yes (pragmatism wins).
- 51% said no (loyalty or fear of being next?).
Behind closed doors, workers seem to suspect the writing’s already on the wall:
- 43% privately believe AI could already do their job.
- 22% admit they have Googled: “Will AI take my job?”
- 35% say fear of AI has made them question their long-term career plans.
What tasks would you gladly hand over?
When asked which part of their job they’d happily offload to AI, reports and analysis topped the list at 30%, closely followed by emails and admin at 26%. A surprisingly high 24% chose meetings, and 20% opted for presentations and slides. In short, the more tedious the task, the more welcome the robot.
And which roles do workers secretly hope AI will come for next? Politicians claimed the top spot with 32%, followed by middle management (23%) and HR managers (17%). Even CEOs weren’t spared, with 16% of people hoping to see the corner office go digital.
“There’s a quiet existential crisis happening in the cubicles of America,” says Raymond Lee, President of Careerminds. “People used to worry about being replaced by a younger hire; now they are worried about being replaced by code. The good news is that anxiety can be a powerful motivator for a career change. Whether it leads to retraining, reinvention, or a new career entirely, this could be the wake-up call many professionals didn’t know they needed.”
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