MIT Sloan Management Review Article on The Jobs That Artificial Intelligence Will Create

The threat that automation will eliminate a broad swath of jobs across the world economy is now well established. As artificial intelligence (AI) systems become ever more sophisticated, another wave of job displacement will almost certainly occur.

It can be a distressing picture.

But here’s what we’ve been overlooking: Many new jobs will also be created — jobs that look nothing like those that exist today.

In Accenture PLC’s global study of more than 1,000 large companies already using or testing AI and machine-learning systems, we identified the emergence of entire categories of new, uniquely human jobs. These roles are not replacing old ones. They are novel, requiring skills and training that have no precedents. (Accenture’s study, “How Companies are Reimagining Business Processes with IT,” will be published this summer.)

More specifically, our research reveals three new categories of AI-driven business and technology jobs. We label them trainers, explainers, and sustainers. Humans in these roles will complement the tasks performed by cognitive technology, ensuring that the work of machines is both effective and responsible — that it is fair, transparent, and auditable.

About the Author

H. James Wilson is managing director of IT and business research at Accenture Research. Paul R. Daugherty is Accenture’s chief technology and innovation officer. Nicola Morini-Bianzino is global lead of artificial intelligence at Accenture.

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