17 Jobs That Cannot Be Replaced by AI: Note the Pattern

As artificial intelligence (AI) develops and makes software and hardware and the combination of both more capable.

It’s also increasingly possible and economically viable for machines to replace great portions of human work.

That’s according to a CNBC report, which basically says that AI will replace some jobs.

Although it’s true that some are more at risk, others are out of harm’s way — there are some roles that AI cannot take on.

Just about any job that calls for a human brain and heart cannot be performed by a machine. AI will not be able to carry out jobs that require critical thinking and creativity and those that warrant social or emotional intelligence and personality. Any job that isn’t programmable is not at risk of being replaced by technology.

In some jobs, human workers have to do the same thing repeatedly, day in and day out.

These are the kinds that are in danger of being accomplished by machines since they are highly programmable anyway and won’t complain that they need a break for they’re tired and hungry and thirsty.

But then there are also jobs that require skills and other attributes that no amount of software and hardware advancements can perform and thus make a human component obsolete.

Let’s check out exactly the jobs that are very much likely to remain exclusive to people:

Lawyers

• Median pay: $127,990 per year
• Projected job growth rate: 10%

It’s possible for the time to come when some manual work at law firms will be carried out by AI, thus making some employees unnecessary.

However, because lawyers are tasked with studying and analyzing information and also coming up with legal interpretations afterward, their being replaced by machines is highly doubtful.

Besides, laws are being scrapped, amended or introduced constantly.

This means that machines will have to look for ways to catch up with their dynamic environment, which is impossible without lawyers interpreting for them.

And where there are lawyers, there are judges — they who are tasked with presiding over trials, maintaining order, deciding whether or not there are legality issues with every piece of evidence presented, and coming up with a sentence, all of which require skills and abilities obtained through years of education and experience, not via programming.

And finally, most members of the Congress are former lawyers. Do you really think they will let machines take over their jobs when they have the power to outlaw their competitors?

Filmmakers

• Median pay: $79,000 per year
• Projected job growth rate: 8%

In the film industry these days, AI has become an important tool. For instance, they can help streamline pre-production processes and make special effects appear more realistic and immersive.

However, filmmakers have something that AI doesn’t: the human touch.

And that is why machines are very much unlikely to leave filmmakers, the ones who have absolute power over the artistic and dramatic aspects of films, searching for other jobs.

While there’s no denying that AI has revolutionized the film industry, nonetheless, there’s no way that it can take the place of filmmakers.

Actors

• Median pay: $60,364 per year
• Projected job growth rate: 8%

First things first: AI actors have been around for some time now. They are used to make actors appear younger or older, while other times they are used to bring dead actors back to life.

In any case, the fact remains that AI actors lack the full emotional range of human actors. And in a job where the display of all sorts of emotions is the lifeblood, there’s no place for emotionless performers to thrive.

But they do come in handy in scenes where real actors can be put in danger: as part of computer-generated special effects.

There is a reason behind multi-million compensations for top actors – people chose movies to watch based on star actors.

Singers

• Median pay: $52,992
• Projected job growth rate: 4%

In 2018, an album called “I Am AI” came out — it’s the first of its kind as all 8 tracks were produced by AI.

While machines can be used to generate lyrics, musical instrument sounds and even human voices, none of them are as capable of putting feelings and emotions into what they do as human singers.

Yes, they may be able to help musical artists to come up with new and better ideas, although AI music tools cannot demonstrate passion that singers can impart to songs and love that singers have for what they do.

Graphic Designers

• Median pay: $50,710 per year
• Projected job growth rate: 3%

It’s not enough for graphic designers to come up with something that’s nice to look at — it’s also a must for what they produce to meet the needs of clients and inform, inspire and captivate consumers.

Although it’s true that the vast majority of today’s graphic designers pair their artistry with modern-day technologies in order to generate their best work each time, much of it relies on their sole creativity and imagination and even analytical thinking and communication skills, especially when turning a concept into a marketing campaign.

But AI can take over some repetitive graphic design tasks alright to improve turnover time and quality control.

Content Creators

• Median pay: $41,166
• Projected job growth rate: 10%

Bloggers, vloggers, podcasters, social media influencers — these and a handful of others are content creators.

What they do is come up with educational or entertaining materials for specific audiences to be expressed through a variety of mediums and channels, usually in digital contexts.

Making some content creators stand out from the rest is the possession of unique and lovable personalities and values as well as having creativity, passion, editorial judgment and empathy, all of which AI has trouble replicating authentically.

But there’s nothing wrong with content creators trying to take advantage of AI to deliver high-quality content.

CEOs

• Median pay: $98,980 per year
• Projected job growth rate: 6%

As the highest-ranking executives, CEOs are tasked with making sure that the business or company runs smoothly and meets its goals.

Day in and day out, they need to exude top-notch decision-making skills — just one of the many different important capabilities they need to have to be able to carry out their very demanding role.

Even though machines can make data-driven decisions through predictive analytics, the risks that come with allowing them to run an entire firm are simply hard to overlook.

The verdict: zero chances of us having AI CEOs one day.

HR Specialists

• Median pay: $62,290 per year
• Projected job growth rate: 8%

Other than attracting talents, AI also helps companies develop and retain theirs by having a range of tasks, from the provision of data-heavy insight to automating repetitive day-to-day tasks.

But in terms of recruiting and evaluating talent, human resources (HR) specialists should not feel intimidated or threatened by machines.

Possessing top-notch interpersonal skills is an important quality of any HR specialist in order to shine in his or her chosen field.

The use of sound judgment when assessing the qualifications of applicants or dealing with disputes in the workplace is also another characteristic an HR specialist must display.

Sadly for AI, it can never boast of those skills, thus keeping it from being no more than a helpful tool in the HR department.

Psychologists

• Median pay: $81,040 per year
• Projected job growth rate: 6%

No matter if working in a clinical, educational or industrial setting, psychologists carefully study people’s attitudes and behaviors, which can vary from person to person and from circumstance to circumstance, and draw logical conclusions.

In the process, exhibiting sound judgment and problem-solving skills is a must.

And while psychologists may utilize AI to simplify their work, they need not fear that it might take over them.

In some instances, establishing a social connection with psychologists simply because they are humans with empathy and understanding is usually more than enough for some individuals with mental or behavioral concerns, acute and chronic alike, to obtain comfort and relief, which is impossible to attain when talking to a machine.

Psychiatrists

• Median pay: $245,661
• Projected job growth rate: 9%

The human brain is more complex than any other thing in the universe. As such, just imagine the lengths psychiatrists must go to diagnose a problem.

AI can be accurate in solving problems when presented with data that it’s programmed to consider and evaluate.

However, the presence of an anomaly can change the game for it completely.

And this is when the fact that it can be impossible for a machine to replace a psychiatrist, who is trained to do logical and critical thinking to come up with a diagnosis.

Using empathy in order to subjectively understand a patient from his or her viewpoint is also important among psychiatrists, which a machine cannot exude no matter how intensive its programming gets.

Surgeons

• Median pay: $423,501
• Projected job growth rate: 3%

Before anything else, machines deserve admiration: surgical robots enhance flexibility, control and precision during operations, also allowing surgeons to survey and navigate hard-to-reach surgical sites better than when using traditional approaches.

But while certain tasks in the OR are being carried out more effectively and efficiently by machines, it doesn’t mean that they will replace surgeons — leaving the health and well-being of a patient on an operating table to automation is simply too big a risk, which is why nothing can replace a surgeon’s clinical judgment obtained from years of experience.

Occupational Therapists

• Median pay: $85,570 per year
• Projected job growth rate: 14%

One of the most important qualities of occupational therapists is compassion — they must display empathy and sensitivity to the needs and concerns of their clients, who are struggling with performing everyday activities.

Time will come when AI may be able to mimic compassion alright, but it still won’t be the real thing.

However, thanks to machines, occupational therapists are able to do their jobs so much better than ever.

AI, for instance, is already assisting in the conduction of research, analysis and simulations in coming up with the most effective, creative and innovative treatments for people who have injuries, illnesses or disabilities.

Clergies

• Median pay: $49,720 per year
• Projected job growth rate: 8%

Practical Shepherding has a top 10 list of the qualities every pastor should possess.

And here’s the #1 on the said list: a deep love and burden for people and souls.

And to be able to care for those with souls, one must have a soul.

Unfortunately for robots, a soul is something that they can dream of but never have.

And that is why there’s zero chance that we see robot clergies preaching from pulpits or lecterns sometime in the future.

Besides, religion is all about the relationship human beings have with what they consider holy, sacred and divine — robots can be programmed to say that they believe in a supreme being, but never truly know the joy and beauty it brings.

Event Planners

• Median pay: $49,470 per year
• Projected job growth rate: 18%

Many event planners themselves agree that AI helps improve a lot of the tasks they need to carry out, ranging from locating some of the best event venues to getting in touch with people who could benefit from attending.

Thanks to intelligent apps and sites, traditional chores are made easier and more efficient for event planners.

But given that event planners have to also rely on their interpersonal skills to make events successful and clients happy, leaving everything in the hands of a robot can trigger the fight-or-flight response of anyone who wants nothing but to have a dreamy wedding, a memorable birthday party, a smashing year-end party or a successful corporate meeting.

Public Relations Specialists

• Median pay: $62,800 per year
• Projected job growth rate: 8%

What public relations specialists do is make sure that the clients they represent obtain and maintain a positive image.

And because it’s the reputation of a person, business or organization that’s on the line, it’s hard to leave the job in the hands of a machine that thinks like a human instead of a human that actually thinks as a human.

Other than building up the image of their clients, public relations specialists also have to build a rapport with the public on behalf of the entities they work for, which requires something that AI doesn’t have: a human element.

Marketing Managers

• Median pay: $133,380 per year
• Projected job growth rate: 10%

Simply put, marketing managers are tasked with developing, implementing and executing strategic marketing plans for businesses not only to attract new customers but also to keep current ones around.

They do so by identifying potential markets for products and services and, in the process, working with CEOs, advertising sales agents and art directors.

As such, they need to rely heavily on their imagination and creativity and, to achieve breakthroughs, originality.

None of the skills and abilities of successful marketing managers can be found in robots. However, it’s true that AI makes a lot of the everyday tasks of these marketing geniuses so much easier to carry out.

Entrepreneurs

• Median pay: $43,240 per year
• Projected job growth rate: 6%

Passion — it’s something that allows you to create an authentic brand, attract your target audience, set you apart from the competition and give you the motivation to run your money-making venture.

It’s because of this why following your passion can spell the difference between having a thriving business and looking for another way to make money.

Needless to say, because of the need for passion as well as many other traits that are exclusive to human beings, a future where AI dominates the entrepreneurial sphere looks bleak.

Besides, as your own boss, no one can take your title away from you, including an intelligent machine.

Recap: How to AI-Proof Your Career Path

AI can do amazing things these days — what it can do in the future is bound to impress even more. As early as now, machines are being used to perform repetitive tasks, which they are good at because they can do so with unbelievable speed and precision. However, in many areas and industries, a human touch remains a critical component.

Currently gearing up for college?

To be safe, consider making choices that will lead to a job where you are unlikely to be replaced by a robot, thus allowing you to have a rewarding career until you are ready to give retirement a go.

Read Next: 19 Most Stressful College Majors and How Much They Pay