Contrary to public fears that the advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) will lead to widespread job loss, Boston Consulting Group (BCG) announced on the 3rd that only 10% to 15% of jobs—primarily those involving routine tasks—are expected to disappear completely within the next five years.

According to the report, 50% to 55% of all jobs in the U.S. will see their work methods and required skill sets fundamentally 'reshaped' by AI. This means that while the automation of routine tasks does not necessarily lead to mass unemployment and most roles will remain, the deliverables and work processes required by companies will change significantly. An analysis of job categories where over 40% of routine tasks can be automated shows that employment declines are limited to fields with structurally constrained demand.

The outlook for different job categories varies sharply depending on the nature of the work and the scalability of demand. Call center staff and routine financial analysts are at the highest risk of being 'substituted' by AI. As AI systems absorb tasks such as following set response manuals or gathering primary data, the absolute number of personnel required by companies will decrease.

In contrast, software engineers—the backbone of the IT industry—are classified as a key group whose employment will be 'amplified' by AI. Even if AI dramatically increases the speed of coding and testing, high-level cognitive judgment—such as designing entire systems and balancing cost with performance—remains a human responsibility. In particular, if productivity gains lead to lower software development costs, the pent-up demand for digital products is expected to explode, likely keeping the total number of developer jobs stable or even increasing them.

In fields like marketing, job roles will be 'rebalanced' with the adoption of AI. While routine channel planning and text generation will shift to AI, humans will need to evolve into omnichannel experts who oversee entire brand campaigns. While hiring for junior-level staff who handle routine tasks may shrink in the short term, demand for senior-level skills—capable of managing AI outputs and solving complex problems—will grow.

Experts point out that management must resist the temptation of simple cost-cutting. Greg Emerson of BCG advised, "Companies that focus solely on cost reduction and indiscriminately cut staff will likely suffer from decreased productivity and the loss of key talent. Management must make upskilling and the strategic redeployment of personnel their top priority for securing corporate competitiveness."