Like most of us, I often find myself wondering how resilient our industry really is as AI continues to evolve. It’s something that fascinates and excites me, but also brings some concern too.
So, when I came across an article in The Times, about a 16-year-old asking her Microsoft veteran dad what career will survive AI, I was keen to read on.
Babith Bhoopalan, who has spent 25 years at Microsoft leading AI and customer experience initiatives, knows only too well how disruptive this technology could be. So, when his daughter asked for AI career advice, he set about researching the most bullet proof industries.
careers analysed across 9 categories
He set up a framework that scored 35 careers across nine categories including emotional intelligence, creative thinking and vulnerability to AI tools:
- A score closer to 100 per cent means the role depends heavily on things AI cannot replicate.
- A score closer to 35 per cent means much of the work is already within reach of automation.
What did he discover?
Healthcare scores highest of any sector. Surgeons, GPs and consultants score 91 to 96% on long-term resistance. Mental health counsellors score 98%. A chatbot cannot replace a therapeutic relationship built over months with a person in genuine distress.
Education scores 78 to 88%. AI can deliver information, but it cannot notice that a child is struggling at home or adapt in real time to a difficult moment in a classroom.
Skilled trades score between 82 and 94%.
For B2B & desk jobs, the research was really insightful. And for the creative industry, much better than perhaps I’d envisaged:
“The creative industries score 71 to 84% for roles involving genuine original thought, cultural judgment and human perspective. AI generates images and text at scale, but it cannot come up with ideas rooted in experience or edit with the instinct that comes from decades in a field. The roles most at risk are those involving high-volume, templated production rather than genuine creative leadership.”
If you want to find out the AI career score for your industry, you can read more in the full Saturday Times article from 4thApril 2026.
Excerpt From The Saturday Times, April 04 2026
“My daughter wants a career that survives AI — so I ranked them”
The Times and The Sunday Times
https://apple.news/AIsSiGFyaQJyS0l_8kumcFQ
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