A study by the World Bank concludes that Costa Rica is the Latin American country with the most jobs exposed to the effects of Artificial Intelligence (AI). The data indicates that 38% of employment in the country has different forms of exposure to this technology and its derivatives.

Uruguay, Brazil, and the Dominican Republic rank below Costa Rica, with 37% of jobs exposed. The Latin American average is 32%. “Exposure is highest in more developed countries like Costa Rica and Uruguay and is lowest in Bolivia, Ecuador, and Barbados,” states a summary published by the World Bank this week.

The article acknowledges that most adults in the United States are more concerned than excited about the effects AI could have on their daily lives, primarily on their jobs.

What does it mean for jobs to be exposed to AI?

According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), AI is a machine-based system that can make predictions, recommendations, or decisions that influence real-life environments, based on a set of objectives defined by humans.

Based on this, the study replicated by the World Bank considers that AI could have different effects on jobs:

Some jobs are at risk of being automated.

In another category are those whose potential can be expanded thanks to AI.

A third category, called “The Big Unknown,” is a group whose impact is still unknown, whether it automates them, expands their potential, or otherwise.

Which jobs are impacted and how?

The first group includes jobs at risk of being automated. Some examples of these occupations include customer service agents and data entry workers.

The second category includes those that can be expanded or become more productive thanks to AI. Some examples for this category are teachers, healthcare professionals, and coaches.

It is estimated that 3% of jobs in Latin America are exposed to automation, and 12% to increased potential. This means that, for now, the beneficial group is larger. However, the remaining 17% that are exposed are in the “Great Unknown” category.

In the case of Costa Rica, the percentage of jobs exposed to automation is 5%. This is followed by an increase in potential, reaching 14%, and in the “Big Unknown” group, it reaches 19%.

Risk of greater inequality?

The replicated study indicates that with AI, there is a risk of increasing inequality. In Latin America, positions exposed to automation are regularly held by women, from urban areas, young, well-educated people, and formal jobs in banking, finance, insurance, or the public sector.

Meanwhile, the profile of those whose potential could be increased is similar, but less defined by age and gender. High exposure is related to education, health, and professional services.

“These trends suggest that while the risks of automation could increase inequality between gender and age groups, the benefits of GenAI, which favor households with higher incomes and higher educational levels, could also generate greater income inequality,” says the summary published by the World Bank.

Another element considered in the study is that the impact will vary between countries and between households. For example, the number of jobs performed by people in countries or homes with more computers will be higher than those with fewer or no computers. This applies both to those who are automated and those who improve their potential.

A clear path is needed to transform the workforce.

Jaime Figueres Ulate, Director of Artificial Intelligence at Zeta and Global Ambassador of the Responsible AI Council says the following:

It’s valid that people are concerned. This is normal in the midst of such a major disruption, but it also adds to the fact that the country doesn’t have a clear path to follow, which increases uncertainty.

He also points out that AI changes in employment are not something that will happen in the long term, but rather in the short term, within 24 months. He explains that a profound evolution in AI is expected by 2027, in the sense that it will be able to reason and adapt better or as well as a human being to different scenarios.

“That is the real horizon for many profound transformations we are seeing globally,” he noted. Figueres insisted that the implementation of AI could eliminate some jobs, but complement and boost others. However, there is currently no strategy to retrain the workforce.

“The problem is that so far the response has not been optimal. We are acting very slowly, and the government, academia, and the private sector have acted timidly and fragmentedly,” he said in an interview.

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