AI to impact less than 4% of Thailand’s service sector jobs

[snoop1130]

 

Artificial intelligence (AI) is projected to have a limited impact on employment in Thailand, with fewer than 4% of service sector workers at high risk of being replaced by the technology, according to Kasikorn Research Center (K-Research).

 

A study conducted by Microsoft and LinkedIn revealed that 74% of Thai business leaders, compared to 66% globally, stated they would not hire candidates lacking AI skills.

 

AI is rapidly expanding, with global investment exceeding US$91.9 billion (3.36 trillion baht) in 2022 and anticipated to reach US$200 billion annually by 2030, as reported by Goldman Sachs.

 

Analysts predict that AI adoption could lead to the layoff of up to 300 million workers worldwide. K-Research indicated that Thailand’s service sector, contributing 52.4% to the national GDP, would be the most impacted by AI.

 

Nevertheless, the overall effect of AI on Thailand is expected to be less severe than in many other countries, as fewer than 4% of the service sector workforce is highly susceptible to AI replacement.

 

The exposure of the service sector to AI replacement risk, considering the number of employees and its GDP contribution, amounts to only 280,000 employees, representing 3.5% of total sector employment. However, the potential risk from AI could influence 34.7% of the sector’s GDP.

 

Sectors at risk

 

K-Research noted that jobs in construction (90,000 workers at risk) and residential construction (180,000 workers) are less vulnerable to AI, whereas industries like finance (29,000 workers) and professional services (95,000 workers) face higher risks.

 

Managing Director of Microsoft Thailand, Dhanawat Suthumpun, highlighted the widespread acceptance of generative AI tools in the workplace.

 

“Most employees surveyed use AI to complete their daily workload without waiting to see if their organisations will provide AI tools, services, or directions and guidelines for usage.”

 

Dhanawat added that business leaders need to address this emerging trend to maximise AI benefits for both organisations and employees.

 

Microsoft and LinkedIn recently released the 2024 Work Trend Index, a joint report on the state of AI at work, based on a survey of 31,000 individuals across 31 countries, including Thailand.

The study found that 92% of knowledge workers in Thailand now utilise AI at work, significantly higher than the global average of 75%.

 

Lack of uniformity

 

The survey reveals that 81% of respondents use AI tools of their choice. The lack of uniformity in AI usage at scale in workplaces may cause the company to miss out on the advantages of strategic uses and put the company data at risk, reported Bangkok Post.

 

Additionally, 91% of Thai business leaders believe their companies need to adopt AI to remain competitive, compared to the global average of 79%, revealing how AI skills have become critical assets in the workforce, both in Thailand and internationally.

 

If given a choice between AI skills and work experience, 90% of Thai leaders (71% globally) would opt for a candidate with AI skills over a more experienced one, demonstrating that Thai employers value workers with AI skills and are willing to pay at least 41% more to hire them, as reported in “Accelerating AI Skills: Preparing the Asia-Pacific Workforce for Jobs of the Future.”

 

By Ryan Turner

Image: rawpixel/Freepik

 

Source: The Thaiger 2024-06-24

 

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[Will B Good]

Fairly obvious, I guess, that the more advance an economy is the greater impact AI will be. Thailand will be pretty safe.

[John Drake]

The major skill needed for AI is to outwit and circumvent the algorithmic filters when asking for information. Pretty soon there will not need anyone with AI skills to create AIs, because the AIs will be able to do that themselves. Google Gemini told me so when I asked.

[Chris Daley]

AI please shuffle this paper, leave the counter closed for four hours, lose the documents, not speak English and take bribes.

 

I think AI can manage it.

[malathione]

That's because only 4% of those employed in the service sector in Thailand have any intelligence. The other AI, Artificial Idiocy, would replace the other 96%.

[hotchilli]

15 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Artificial intelligence (AI) is projected to have a limited impact on employment in Thailand, with fewer than 4% of service sector workers at high risk of being replaced by the technology, according to Kasikorn Research Center (K-Research)

BS

[stoner]

AI would have a nervous breakdown trying to compute thai bureaucracy. error error.......... blue screen of death. 

[Snackbar]

Naive 

[rocketboy2]

Ai Will devastate employment, in Thailand and all around the world.

it's only a matter of time.

 

[RichardColeman]

18 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

with fewer than 4% of service sector workers at high risk of being replaced by the technology

Great I guess, but not for the 4% of Thais with no future work

[MarkBR]

Could have massive effect on Government.  Could result in increase in intellect & intelligent decisions & policy.

[jimgilly]

I'm not buying it.  AI/robotics will eventually replace all but a few of the current jobs around the world.  From blue collar to white collar workers, they are already being replaced and this will only accelerate going forward.  Anyone who doesn't believe this has not kept up with the times.   

 

The bigger question is what will happen to all the unemployed once there is no longer work for them?  If you think they will sit idly by with nothing to do and little funds at hand to make ends meet, you're delusional.  The pitchforks will come out but before that happens the power elite/technocrats will resolve the problem and with the only solution that makes sense - depopulation.  Don't believe it wait and see.

[rocketboy2]

43 minutes ago, jimgilly said:

I'm not buying it.  AI/robotics will eventually replace all but a few of the current jobs around the world.  From blue collar to white collar workers, they are already being replaced and this will only accelerate going forward.  Anyone who doesn't believe this has not kept up with the times.   

 

The bigger question is what will happen to all the unemployed once there is no longer work for them?  If you think they will sit idly by with nothing to do and little funds at hand to make ends meet, you're delusional.  The pitchforks will come out but before that happens the power elite/technocrats will resolve the problem and with the only solution that makes sense - depopulation.  Don't believe it wait and see.

 

Maybe UBI (universal basic income)

Will save the day.

Who knows.

But big changes are just round the corner, for the world.

[John Drake]

1 hour ago, jimgilly said:

If you think they will sit idly by with nothing to do and little funds at hand to make ends meet, you're delusional.

 

They'll get government subsidized Netflix to go home and be happy. Government subsidized DoorDash to fatten up on. A government subsidized 10 square meter living cubicle. Nothing else needed. Utopia.

[jimgilly]

8 hours ago, rocketboy2 said:

 

Maybe UBI (universal basic income)

Will save the day.

Who knows.

But big changes are just round the corner, for the world.

Not going to happen.  They have already concluded UBI will not work.  People with nothing but time on their hands and little money to buy things with will turn into uncontrollable savages and the PTB will never let that happen in their Eutopian world.  They have the motive, means and opportunity to eliminate the problem before it happens and they will.  It's already going on but the masses are too dumb to see what's right in front of them.  Too late to stop them so just hope you're somewhere that will give you a little more time before you too become irrelevant and that day is coming.

[jimgilly]

7 hours ago, John Drake said:

 

They'll get government subsidized Netflix to go home and be happy. Government subsidized DoorDash to fatten up on. A government subsidized 10 square meter living cubicle. Nothing else needed. Utopia.

Dream on.