Artificial intelligence is set to affect nearly 40% of all jobs, according to a new analysis by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the BBC reports.
IMF’s managing director Kristalina Georgieva says “in most scenarios, AI will likely worsen overall inequality”.
Ms Georgieva adds that policymakers should address the “troubling trend” to “prevent the technology from further stoking social tensions”.
The proliferation of AI has put its benefits and risks under the spotlight.
The IMF said AI will likely affect a greater proportion of jobs – put at around 60% – in advanced economies. In half of these instances, workers can expect to benefit from the integration of AI, which will enhance their productivity.
In other instances, AI will have the ability to perform key tasks that are currently executed by humans. This could lower demand for labour, affecting wages and even eradicating jobs.
Meanwhile, the IMF projects that the technology will affect just 26% of jobs in low-income countries.
Ms Georgieva said “many of these countries don’t have the infrastructure or skilled workforces to harness the benefits of AI, raising the risk that over time the technology could worsen inequality among nations”.