Will AI’s Impact on Employment Lead to the Elimination of ‘Bullshit Jobs’ in Corporations?

Will AI Lead to the Demise of ‘Disagreeable’ Corporate Roles Before Traditional Jobs?

As artificial intelligence continues to advance, a pressing question emerges: If AI is poised to automate many jobs, shouldn’t the so-called “corporate bullshit jobs”—roles often criticized for their lack of tangible productivity—be the first to vanish?

Many professionals highlight roles like project managers, consultants, or administrative staff as increasingly superfluous, especially when their primary tasks involve creating PowerPoint presentations, responding to endless emails, and attending seemingly pointless meetings. From this perspective, these corporate positions—sometimes labeled as “administrative overhead”—are prime candidates for automation and, consequently, reduction in the near future.

This leads to an intriguing paradox: if AI threatens to make these roles obsolete, why do they persist? Conversely, why do certain educational paths—such as those in humanities, languages, design, or computer science—appear more vulnerable to disruption than fields like economics, finance, or administrative management?

The answer lies in understanding the nature of these roles and disciplines. Jobs centered around organization, communication, and creative problem-solving—traits prevalent in the arts and social sciences—are often considered more susceptible to AI automation because their tasks can be easily systematized or replicated by intelligent algorithms. On the other hand, fields rooted in analyzing complex economic systems, managing financial portfolios, or navigating bureaucratic frameworks may involve nuanced decision-making and strategic thinking that remain challenging for AI to fully replicate.

Ultimately, the trajectory of AI’s impact on employment may not follow a simple pattern. While some roles are clearly at risk, others might evolve rather than disappear. The ongoing automation debate underscores the importance of understanding the specific nature of each profession and how AI can complement, rather than entirely replace, human expertise.