Underwriters 66% likely to be replaced by machines - study

The 33,000 people working for UK insurance underwriters are 66% likely to be replaced by machines, according to researchers.

Underwriting came 136th out of 366 different occupations on which was most likely to be automated in the future, according to a study called The Future of Emplolyment: How Susceptible are Jobs to Automation, from Oxford University’s Martin School.

Researchers ranked occupations on factors such as the need for empathy and client interaction, creativity and negotiation skills.

Social workers, nurses, therapists and psychologists were among the least likely occupations to be taken over, while roles requiring employees to think on their feet and come up with creative and original ideas, held a significant advantage in the face of automation.

In addition, managerial and negotiating roles were less at risk.

Top of the list for automation, were jobs like telemarketers and bank clerks. And with artificial intelligence gaining in sophistication, algorithms are challenging a number of office and administrative support roles, particularly in legal and financial services.

“Machines are already beginning to take on a number of tasks carried out by legal professionals by scanning thousands of documents to assist in pre-trial research,” the study said.

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