Hope for the best, plan for the worst: That’s a philosophy that could protect millions of workers as AI emerges as a threat to human jobs.
Around 7 per cent of the U.S. workforce is expected to lose their jobs to AI by 2035, according to investment bank Goldman Sachs.
“AI isn’t coming; it’s already here,” Trevor Houston, CEO at ClearPath Wealth Strategies, wrote in an email to The Independent.
“This year, we’re seeing it very much taking over a lot of jobs that are repetitive and process-oriented. Everything from customer service, administrative assistants, some marketing jobs [and] some finance jobs. In areas where processes are predictable, AI is moving in very quickly.”
While it may seem like bleak news for the job market, there are a number of roles that experts believe are more AI-proof than others.
Nursing
Nursing is a field that multiple experts believe will withstand AI replacement relatively well. Some of that confidence is based on the inherent skills required for nurses to successfully help patients.
Dealing with complex human emotions and ethical decision-making are areas where AI will struggle, a 2024 study published in medical journal Women’s Health Nursing found.
“No matter how advanced and intelligent AI becomes, it cannot replace the core aspect of nursing, which is the care that necessitates human emotions and judgments,” researcher Hae-Kyung Jo wrote.
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“AI lacks the capacity to embrace the nursing philosophy that is grounded in human dignity and cannot be held accountable for its actions.”
Russell Twilligear, head of AI research and development at AI content production service BlogBuster, said nursing is among the top roles he believes will resist the coming wave of AI job replacement.
“The reasoning behind this one is because these jobs depend on real-world judgment, human trust, physical work and accountability,” he told The Independent in an email. “AI can for sure help here, but take over completely? We are years and years away from that.”
Skilled trades
Experts believe the trades – typically blue-collar, hands-on roles such as HVAC technician,, electrician or plumber – are among the most AI-proof in the U.S. job market.
It will be hard for AI to perform the often intricate, multi-step physical tasks that tradespeople do daily.
“A lot of trades need … hand-eye coordination, dexterity, and flexibility, such as an electrician or a plumber,” Utah-based All Trades Staffing Services wrote in an analysis. “Robots … don’t have the required dexterity or motor controls for this kind of work.”
Another sign that trades offer more resistance to AI replacement than other occupations? There has been an uptick in private equity firms buying trade businesses, said Julian Scadden, a plumber and CEO of Nexstar Network, a trades consultancy. That investment may suggest financial markets believe trades can better weather AI’s full impact on the U.S. job market.
Crisis managers
A crisis manager helps a company navigate unexpected events through training, preparation and response plans, according to Ohio-based Franklin University. This broad category can include positions in emergency management, emergency response and emergency preparedness.
“AI can definitely assist each of these jobs but can’t produce output equal to that of humans,” said Jan Hendrik von Ahlen, managing director and cofounder of job platform Jobleads, in an email to The Independent.
Crisis managers should convert potential fears of AI into an exploration of its benefits, consulting firm Deloitte reported in July 2025.
“AI tools can be used to gather, analyze and summarize large sets of text: for example, responses to post-incident reviews,” Deloitte wrote. “This can feed in to post-incident reports, drafting observations and recommendations for review.”
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