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The writing is on the wall. AI will replace many more jobs this year. Experts predict that AI will replace full-time careers in 2025—reducing the number of jobs and creating a greater reliance on gig employment and freelancers. AI has been in the wild wild west for the last couple of years from fears of the invasion of artificial intelligence (AI) replacing jobs in 2023 to business leaders observing that AI is shrinking an already competitive job market in 2024. Now, a new study provides answers to whether fears about AI job loss are justified.
Are Fears About AI Job Loss Justified?
The Future of Jobs Global Report 2025 reveals that 41% of companies plan workforce reductions as artificial intelligence expands, sparking widespread unease among employees worldwide. Plus, nearly half of knowledge workers have expressed concern over job displacement due to AI. The expert consensus is that AI is a tool to help workers become more efficient, not to disrupt employment rates as much as people believe.
Still, these concerns raise the question: which professions feel the most vulnerable of AI replacing? To answer this question, the experts at AIPRM analyzed global search data to determine if employee concerns correlate with predicted trends of AI’s role in the workforce.
AIPRM used a three-step process in their methodology to identify the professions with the most concerned employees and which AI alternatives generate the most interest.
- Analysts used the software intelligence tool Ahrefs to gather average global search inquiry data to extract the most searched positions following the phrase: “Will AI replace . . .” and ranked them in order.
- To determine the fields where alternatives are being readily accepted, they compared the search volumes by searching “AI Engineer,” for example, to reveal whether concerns were validated.
- Analysts predicted employment growth in each field over the next decade from BLS.GOV figures to reveal if employee concerns correlated with predicted trends.
10 Jobs Analyzed For Fears About AI Job Loss
The analysis revealed the top replacement questions/concerns, ranking each profession from most to least vulnerable, based on average monthly inquiries.
- Programmers (5,100 monthly inquiries, with 2,800 searches for AI alternatives) is the most searched AI replacement question, indicating concerns about their future, as companies find quicker and cheaper AI replacements. The analysis predicts that programming careers will decline by 10% in the U.S. by 2032.
- Software Developers (2,500 monthly inquiries, with 6,200 searches for AI alternatives) comes in second. The fact that this field has a predicted 26% employment increase between 2023 and 2033 adds some security. According to the findings, despite AI’s ability to execute technical elements, the human input is crucial, requiring imagination, inventive problem-solving and analytical thinking.
- Accountants (1,500 monthly inquiries, with 700 searches for AI alternatives). Analysts conclude that 51% of accounting professionals think ChatGPT and generative AI have a place in tax, accounting and audit tasks. But they add that the need for judgement and emotional intelligence when handling clients is irreplaceable, hence they predict six percent in employment growth in between 2022-2032.
- Lawyers (1,300 monthly inquiries, with 11,000 searches for AI alternatives). The analysts cite a Goldman Sachs report that AI has the potential to automate 44% of legal tasks. Still, these careers are expected to see a five percent growth by 2033. The researchers conclude that, “It underscores that those leveraging AI are likely to outpace those who resist it.”
- Data Analysts (1,000 monthly inquiries, with 1,200 searches for AI alternatives). Analysts predict a 23% employment growth within this sector between 2021 and 2031. They point out that, “Although AI can identify patterns and crunch numbers, understanding reasoning, intuition and problem-solving skills is something AI is currently unable to match.”
- Doctors (900 monthly inquiries, with 16,000 searches for AI alternatives). The medical professions are concerned about AI’s impact, as searches seek quicker and more excessive alternatives. Still the data shows doctors will have a four percent employment growth between 2023 and 2033. The analysts interpret these statistics to indicate that there will be a steady demand for human expertise in patient care, diagnosis and empathy—qualities AI cannot replicate.
- Data Scientists (800 monthly inquiries, with 600 searches for AI alternatives). According to predictions, the employment growth rate in this sector will soar by 36%, despite AI’s ability to perform many processing tasks. Analysts contend that the soft skills associated with this field are too significant, such as liaising with stakeholders, project management skills and simply working well in a team.
- Engineers (700 monthly inquiries, with 7,000 searches for AI alternatives). Analysts point out that engineers feel the pressure of AI advancements. Yet, they predict employment growth of 11% by 2033, explaining that, “While AI can assist with optimization and design, it can’t replicate the creativity, problem-solving and critical thinking that engineers bring to their work.”
- Radiologists (450 monthly inquiries, with 200 searches for AI alternatives). Radiologists face similar uncertainties as doctors, but employment in this field is predicted to rise by six percent. While AI can assist in analyzing imaging data, the analysts insist that interpretive skills, clinical decision-making and collaboration with other healthcare professionals that radiologists are irreplaceable.
- Cyber Security Jobs (450 monthly inquiries, with 1,500 searches for AI alternatives) have the lowest monthly inquiries and lowest vulnerability—along with Radiologists—among the ten professions. But analysts predict that cyber jobs has the second highest employment growth rate (33%) than all the other professions in the study between 2023 and 2033..
Christoph C. Cemper, founder of AIPRM, told me by email that this search query shows a profoundly human response to AI’s rise—curiosity mixed with anxiety. “It’s not just about whether AI will replace jobs; it’s about how individuals try to adapt, as evidenced by the significant search volume for AI-driven alternatives,” he says. “This demonstrates that people aren’t just worried about being replaced, they’re also actively looking for ways to work with AI or figuring out how to adapt and stay relevant.”
A Final Wrap On Fears About AI Job Loss
Cemper told me by email that the data clearly shows the workforce’s uncertain transition into an AI-enhanced era as we consider fears about AI job loss. “The challenge isn’t just about reskilling but also about fostering trust, encouraging innovation and using AI responsibly and ethically to enhance what people can do, rather than ‘replacing’ their roles,” Cemper concludes. “Professions that embrace AI as a collaborative tool rather than a competitor are most likely to thrive in the future.”