Artificial intelligence is already changing how we work, and a new study from Microsoft shows it could put millions of office jobs on the chopping block.
If you work with your hands, experts say you may have less to worry about.
The report found that customer service agents are among the careers most likely to be replaced.
That's something Valley entrepreneur Will Xander knows firsthand.
The Arizona State University graduate founded TruthKeep, a company that built AI-powered customer service agents trained to handle calls and questions.
However he says pitching the product to companies brought along ethical dilemmas.
"It was actually something my team and I struggled with. The main pitch is to reduce costs, but what does that mean? Reducing costs is reducing headcount," Xander said.
Xander has since shifted his business toward data analytics, but still he warns that the risk of replacement is real.
"AI doesn't have to sleep, eat, or have its own internal problems in the way that a human might," Xander said.
Safe hands-on jobs
While some white-collar careers face steep challenges, Microsoft's study suggests that hands-on trades like auto mechanics are far less vulnerable.
At Tony's Auto Service Center in the valley, mechanic Tyler Grant has been fixing cars for 15 years. He says the job requires dexterity and problem-solving that robots simply can't match.
"You need dexterity in your fingers, the ability to problem solve, I don't think a robot will be very good at that," Grant said.
Still, Grant worries about the cultural side effects of AI.
"I think about the movie Wall-E, we'll end up fat, on hoverboards, not able to do anything for ourselves," Grant said. "You take pride in being able to fix and do things yourself, it seems like that is going downhill."
Microsoft's study also found that dredge operators, oral surgeons, and roofers had a low likelihood of replacement by AI.
Adapting to the AI era
While some fear what AI could take away, others are focused on how it can help. In Scottsdale, a new space called the AI Learning Center teaches people how to integrate artificial intelligence into their businesses.
For attorney Maddison Koper Esq., AI has been a game-changer. She founded Sunshine Law Firm and created her own AI assistant, "Sunny," to handle repetitive tasks like drafting emails.
"We want to be doing 90 percent of the work we love… and letting AI do the rest," Koper said.
That shift has allowed her to focus on higher-level legal work, and more time with her first child, three month old Oliver.
"I get to spend more time with my baby, my family," she said.
Now she's teaching other Arizona business owners how to do the same, holding an AI Legal pajama party seminar where dozens of people new to AI learned how it can help them better run their companies.
"Don't be afraid. Lean into what's uncomfortable and unknown, and see what you can do," Koper said. "There's no boring stuff in my world, we always keep it fun."
