Nearly 73,000 Seattle jobs highly vulnerable to AI, new study finds

Nearly 73,000 jobs in the Seattle area are considered highly vulnerable to artificial intelligence (AI), according to new research from the National Bureau of Economic Research and the Brookings Institution.

The study looked at which jobs are most likely to be disrupted by AI — and where workers would have the hardest time finding something comparable. In the greater Seattle region, approximately 3.1% of jobs fall into that category. This is a slight improvement over the national average, which hovers around 3.9%.

Some cities with a higher vulnerability include San Francisco (3.45%), Portland (3.5%), and Albuquerque, which leads the country at 5.2%.

Seattle ranks among the least vulnerable locations to AI job security in the state. According to The Puget Sound Business Journal, Olympia sits at 4.62%, followed by Pullman (4.45%), Spokane (4.21%), Shelton (3.92%), and Aberdeen (3.82%).

Of the roles most affected, secretaries, administrative assistants, receptionists, and information clerks have been disrupted by AI at a 75% rate. Translators, tax examiners and collectors, and insurance sales representatives have also been greatly affected.

How much of an impact is AI having?

A separate survey by the National Bureau of Economic Research found that nearly 6,000 CEOs reported AI had little impact on employment and only a modest boost to productivity. The survey found that firms predicted AI would boost productivity by around 1.4% and reduce employment by around 0.7% over the next three years. But employees saw it differently; they expected AI to create jobs, not eliminate them, and deliver smaller productivity gains.

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