Using existing technology, artificial intelligence and robotics could automate more than half of all work performed in the U.S., according to a new report from the McKinsey Global Institute.
The study finds that 57% of work hours in the US could be automated today if companies redesigned their workflows based on the capabilities of AI agents and robots. The analysis suggests that nearly half of American jobs are in occupations that face significant disruption from automation.
About 40% of the most at-risk roles involve copywriting, information processing, and routine reasoning – tasks at which AI agents already excel. Some of these fields, including paralegals, office clerks and even computer programmers, have seen hiring declines as companies assess the potential for AI to take over large portions of their workloads.
Physical roles are also at risk. Jobs that perform in hazardous environments, such as warehouse operations or machine handling, are likely to be replaced by robotics as adoption costs fall and safety concerns increase.
Conversely, McKinsey found that about a third of American jobs are difficult to automate because they require deeply human qualities, from empathy to skill. Nursing and social care are among the safest professions because 70% of tasks require physical presence, compassion and intuitive decisions that machines find difficult to replicate. Maintenance and repair tasks that require judgment, adaptability, and working in unpredictable environments are also difficult to automate.
The report, “Agents, Robots and Us,” emphasizes that the biggest obstacle to large-scale automation is not technological capabilities, but rather policy decisions, investments and companies’ willingness to redesign entire workflows rather than automate individual tasks. McKinsey estimates that redesigning work with AI in mind could generate $2.9 trillion in economic value per year by 2030.
The report paints a future where people work together with AI rather than being collectively replaced. Employees will spend less time preparing documents or processing data and more time interpreting results, controlling AI systems, and making higher-level judgments. Teaching is highlighted as a sector where the use of hybrid AI could remove administrative burdens and support lesson planning, while leaving educators to lead, assess and interact.
While jobs will disappear, McKinsey argues that new roles will emerge – including AI product managers, security specialists, systems trainers and engineers responsible for tuning and monitoring automated tools.
Evidence from the field suggests that change is already underway. The fintech group Klarna has stated that thanks to AI it can further increase its sales without increasing the number of employees. Law firm Clifford Chance and telecoms provider BT recently announced job cuts linked to increasing automation.
Young professionals appear to be most at risk. A recent Stanford study found that workers ages 22 to 25 in AI-intensive jobs experienced a 13% decline in employment, although more experienced workers have not yet experienced a corresponding displacement.
McKinsey’s report follows Microsoft’s recent analysis, which predicts that translators, salespeople and financial advisors will face early AI disruptions, while nurses, plumbers, marine engineers and water treatment operators remain among the safest professions.
