Most Workers Fear AI Job Threat

A recent survey found that just 30% of Irish workers believe their jobs will be safe from AI in the next decade. The nationwide poll of 1,000 adults was commissioned by HR firm NFP Ireland to examine how workers expect AI to disrupt their jobs. Of those surveyed, 7% believe that their job will no longer exist in its current form ten years from now due to advances in artificial intelligence.

The results also showed 40% of people believe parts of their work will be automated by AI, while 30% think their job is irreplaceable. NFP Ireland managing director Colm Power said advances in AI are happening so quickly, workers are unsure of their job security in the medium term.

Colm Power added: “What stands out is the number of workers who believe large parts of their role could disappear. That reflects a concern not just about job losses, but about roles being gradually reshaped, with day-to-day tasks reduced or fundamentally changing over time.” The findings come as a recent Economic and Social Research Institute study highlighted the potential impact of AI on the Irish labour market.

The study estimated that around 200,000 current jobs could be displaced in the short to medium term. Colm Power noted that younger members of the workforce and those in more administrative and white-collar roles felt the most threatened by the development of AI.

Those aged 35 to 44 were most likely to feel that their job is not replaceable by AI, compared to only 13% of 25-to-34-year-olds. Those in managerial and professional roles in the highest socio-economic groups were more likely to believe that parts of their jobs would be automated than their counterparts involved in manual labour.

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Colm Power said that younger workers are more concerned about the development of AI due to still being at early stages of their career and still trying to establish long-term stability in the workplace. He explained that for many younger employees, there may be a concern that entry-level and junior roles, which often involve administrative, process-driven or repetitive tasks, are the very areas most likely to be automated first.

Colm Power added that “older and more established workers appear more confident that their role will remain relevant”. The survey’s findings are a reminder that the development of AI is not just a technological issue, but also a social and economic one.