Artificial intelligence could replace up to 11.7 percent of the labor market in the US, with a total wage fund of approximately $1.2 trillion. Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) reached this conclusion based on the results of an analysis conducted using the “Iceberg Index” modeling platform, which they developed jointly with the US Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL).
Modern.az reports, citing CNBC, that the study notes the “Iceberg Index” platform is a tool that allows for the simulation of the interactions of approximately 151 million workers across the US. The platform also enables the assessment of the impact of artificial intelligence technologies and public policy on the labor market.
The model is considered not as a precise forecasting tool, but as an experimental environment designed for the analysis of various scenarios.
The platform analyzes over 32,000 skills distributed across 923 professions within 3,000 counties nationwide and compares them with the capabilities of modern artificial intelligence systems. This approach facilitates the identification of which tasks can already be automated at the current stage of technological development.
According to the study's results, routine functions in human resources management, logistics, finance, and administrative activities are most affected. At the same time, the technological sector, including information technology and computing professions, accounts for approximately 2.2 percent of the total wage fund, or nearly $211 billion.
The authors emphasize that this tool is not intended to determine the timing or exact scale of job reductions. Its primary purpose is to provide an analytical basis for evaluating the potential consequences of artificial intelligence implementation, as well as for developing labor market adaptation strategies.
Within the framework of the “Iceberg Index” project, joint experiments are also being conducted with authorities from individual US states, including Tennessee, North Carolina, and Utah. They are testing various policy scenarios and measures for mitigating potential risks based on employment data.
The study shows that the impact of artificial intelligence is not limited to individual regions or sectors. According to modeling data, potential changes encompass the labor market in all 50 US states, including inland and rural areas.
