BackAbility to automate jobs

Ability to automate jobs

A Taxonomy of Systemic Risks from General-Purpose AI

Uuk et al. (2025)

Sub-category

Risk Domain

6.2Increased inequality and decline in employment quality

Social and economic inequalities caused by widespread use of AI, such as by automating jobs, reducing the quality of employment, or producing exploitative dependencies between workers and their employers.

"The ability to automate jobs by AI models and systems can lead to significant job displacement, economic disruption, and social inequality."(p. 11)

Entity: Who or what caused the harm

Human

Due to a decision or action made by humans

AI system

Due to a decision or action made by an AI system

Other

Due to some other reason or is ambiguous

Intent: Whether the harm was intentional or accidental

Intentional

Due to an expected outcome from pursuing a goal

Unintentional

Due to an unexpected outcome from pursuing a goal

Other

Without clearly specifying the intentionality

Timing: Whether the risk is pre- or post-deployment

Pre-deployment

Occurring before the AI is deployed

Post-deployment

Occurring after the AI model has been trained and deployed

Other

Without a clearly specified time of occurrence

Other risks from Uuk et al. (2025) (60)

Control

7.1 AI pursuing its own goals in conflict with human goals or values

AI systemIntentionalPost-deployment

Democracy

6.0 Socioeconomic & Environmental

OtherOtherOther

Discrimination

1.1 Unfair discrimination and misrepresentation

OtherOtherPost-deployment

Economy

6.2 Increased inequality and decline in employment quality

OtherOtherPost-deployment

Environment

6.6 Environmental harm

AI systemUnintentionalPost-deployment

Governance

6.5 Governance failure

AI systemUnintentionalPost-deployment

View all 60 risks from this paper →