Routine and repetitive roles across industries such as financial services, retail, healthcare and education are expected to experience the greatest disruption
from generative artificial intelligence (Gen-AI), according to a new Goldman Sachs report. However, the study also suggests that professionals handling more complex and specialised work are more likely to benefit from AI as a productivity tool rather than be replaced by it. The report highlights that the extent of AI's impact will vary depending on the complexity of the work being performed. Simple, repetitive tasks are considered the most vulnerable to automation, while jobs requiring expertise, judgment, and decision-making are expected to continue to rely on human involvement alongside AI. Routine Tasks Carry The Highest Automation Risk Goldman Sachs noted that occupations involving repetitive activities face the highest substitution risk from Gen-AI. It stated, "Skilled-service sectors appear better placed for AI complementarity, while routine service sectors face higher substitution risk. Note where the tech services sector." The report categorises occupations according to task difficulty. Activities assigned difficulty level 1 consist of repetitive and standardised work that can be more easily automated by AI. In contrast, higher difficulty levels represent complex responsibilities where AI is expected to support human workers instead of replacing them. As a result, the report concludes that low-complexity jobs are more exposed to automation, whereas higher-value work is likely to remain dependent on human expertise, with AI serving as an assisting technology. Financial Services And Retail To See Mixed Impact In financial services, Goldman Sachs believes Gen-AI will complement analysts by automating parts of basic modelling work, which falls under difficulty level 3. At the same time, routine back-office operations, including basic compliance checks categorised as difficulty level 1, are considered more likely to be fully automated. The report also noted that financial services account for approximately 6 per cent of total employment, excluding agriculture. Retail presents a similar picture. AI is expected to assist sales staff with inventory management and related activities spanning difficulty levels 2 to 4. However, cashier roles, which involve repetitive transactions and fall under difficulty level 1, face a higher likelihood of substitution through self-checkout technologies, some of which are already widely deployed. According to the report, retail trade represents roughly 20 per cent of total employment outside agriculture, making it one of the country's largest employment sectors. Healthcare And Education Professionals Likely To Benefit From AI In healthcare, Goldman Sachs expects Gen-AI to enhance the work of doctors rather than replace them. AI tools are likely to assist with diagnostics and treatment planning, activities classified under difficulty level 6, while administrative functions such as appointment scheduling, assigned difficulty level 2, are more likely to be automated. Healthcare accounts for nearly 3 per cent of total employment, excluding agriculture. The education sector is expected to follow a similar trend. Gen-AI can support tutors by delivering personalised learning experiences involving difficulty levels 3 and 4. Meanwhile, repetitive responsibilities such as grading multiple-choice assessments and standardised tests, which fall under difficulty level 1, are considered more vulnerable to automation. Education contributes around 6 per cent of employment outside agriculture, according to the report. Overall, Goldman Sachs concludes that Gen-AI is unlikely to replace entire professions across these sectors. Instead, it is expected to automate routine, lower-complexity activities while enabling professionals to focus on higher-value responsibilities. The report suggests that AI will reshape the nature of work by redistributing tasks between humans and machines rather than uniformly eliminating jobs.
