Do You Have These Once-Valuable Work Skills That Are Rapidly Losing Pay Power as AI Takes Over?

The skills that once secured your promotion may now be accelerating your obsolescence.

As artificial intelligence transforms global labour markets, the International Monetary Fund's managing director, Kristalina Georgieva, warned at Davos this week that AI is hitting the workforce 'like a tsunami', and 'most countries and most businesses are not prepared for it.'

The IMF examined job trends and found a clear pattern: where AI skills are most in demand, jobs vulnerable to automation have decreased by 3.6%. These sectors show fewer people working in roles that could be replaced. Conversely, areas experiencing less AI activity have not yet felt this decline. The contrast between the two is stark when comparing them side by side.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella emphasised the urgency at the World Economic Forum, stating that AI skills must become 'the new pathway to jobs and mobility.' He drew parallels with how workers once had to master programmes like Excel and Word to remain employable.

But which skills are losing ground most rapidly?

Five Skills Facing the Steepest Decline

Research from Oxford, Harvard, and Imperial College Business School analysed over three million freelance job postings and found that demand for tasks easily performed by AI has plummeted.

Data entry and routine processing are at the top of the list. AI systems now parse text, extract information, and complete processing tasks that previously required entire departments. The World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs Report 2025 forecasts significant declines in clerical roles and administrative assistants through to 2030.

Basic copywriting and content creation have also been hard hit. Studies published by ICBS, Harvard Business School, and the German Institute for Economic Research show a 21% decline in demand for writing roles since ChatGPT's emergence. Pages such as 'About Us' have seen demand halved. Short-term contracts are particularly affected.

Translation services are under increasing pressure. Oxford research indicates a shrinking market for translators, especially for European languages, with employment dropping by more than 1.3%. Roles focused on non-European languages have dipped close to 1%. The pattern suggests that each additional percent of machine-based translation use correlates with a 0.7% decrease in hiring human translators.

Routine administrative functions—such as scheduling, document verification, and internal reporting—are increasingly being handled by AI tools. The World Economic Forum found that 40% of employers plan to reduce their workforce where AI can automate tasks.

Basic data analysis roles remain relatively well paid, but a Stanford study notes that these tasks tend to rely less on personal judgment—meaning machines could take over more as AI continues to improve.

The Entry-Level Squeeze

The impact is particularly severe among those starting their careers. According to a Financial Times analysis of Adzuna data, UK graduate job postings have fallen by nearly two-thirds since 2022, while US entry-level postings have dropped 43%.

ManpowerGroup's 2026 Global Talent Barometer reports that 43% of workers now fear that automation could replace their jobs within two years—an increase of five percentage points from 2025. Confidence in technology's ability to protect jobs has also declined, with Baby Boomers reporting a 35% drop.

This anxiety is leading to 'job hugging'—where 64% of workers plan to stay with their current employer to seek stability amid rapid change.

Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, added to these fears at Davos, suggesting that AI could eliminate half of all entry-level white-collar jobs.

The Path Forward

Despite these challenges, the World Economic Forum projects that 170 million new jobs will emerge by 2030, even as 92 million are displaced. However, accessing these opportunities requires proactive steps now.

IMF research shows that workers who acquire emerging skills can command significant wage premiums. Job postings requiring four or more new skills offer up to a 15.1% pay increase in the UK and 8.5% in the US.

Countries such as Finland, Ireland, and Denmark lead the IMF's Skill Readiness Index, thanks to substantial investment in lifelong learning programmes.

For those watching their skills depreciate, the message from Davos is clear: reskill now, or risk being left behind.