List of the 44 professions most at risk of being replaced by AI, according to OpenAI

A report by OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, identified 44 professions at risk of being replaced by advanced AI systems, raising concerns about job stability and the future of employment in various sectors.

The analysis relied on a blind comparison methodology called GDPval, in which human experts evaluated tasks performed by both AI models and human professionals, without knowing who produced each result.

The evaluators selected the option they considered superior, allowing for an objective measurement of artificial intelligence's performance compared to human workers in nine key economic sectors in the United States

Among the models analyzed, Anthropic's Claude Opus 4.1 outperformed human professionals in 47.6% of cases, while OpenAI's GPT5-high model achieved a 38.8% success rate.

Which professions have the highest AI replacement rates

Among the forty-four professions identified as most vulnerable, some exhibit very high replacement rates. Counter and rental employees proved to be the most exposed, with an 81% success rate in favor of AI.

Sales managers rank second, being outperformed in 79% of the tests. Shipping and receiving clerks reached 76%, while editors were outperformed in 75% of cases.

Even professions traditionally considered eminently human, such as private detectives and investigators, show significant vulnerability, with a 70% replacement rate.

Which sectors are most likely to be automated

The impact of automation is not uniform across all sectors. Retail tops the list of the most affected, with chatbots outperforming human professionals in 56% of the tasks evaluated.

Wholesale follows with 53%, and public sector jobs, such as compliance officers and social workers, register a 52% success rate for AI.

In contrast, the information sector, which includes directors, film producers, and journalists, shows greater resistance, because even the most advanced model only outperforms humans in 39% of cases.

Which tasks was AI able to perform better than a human

The OpenAI report provided specific examples of tasks in which AI demonstrated superior performance. Registered nurses were asked to evaluate images of skin lesions and write consultation reports, while manufacturing engineers were asked to create 3D models of cable reels.

In both cases, the AI systems achieved results that, according to the evaluators, matched or surpassed human work. However, OpenAI cautions that the evaluation is limited to specific tasks and that the reality of each profession involves greater complexity than the sum of its isolated activities.

Which professions are included in OpenAI's full list

The list compiled by OpenAI shows the success rate of AI compared to human professionals in the following occupations:

Counter clerks: 81%

Sales managers: 79%

Shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks: 76%

Editors: 75%

Software developers: 70%

Detectives and private investigators: 70%

Compliance officers: 69%

First-level supervisors of non-retail sales workers: 69%

Wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives (excluding technical and scientific products): 68%

General operations managers: 67%

Healthcare and medical service managers: 65%

Buyers and purchasing agents: 64%

Personal financial advisors: 64%

Administrative services managers: 62%

Customer service representatives: 59%

First-level supervisors of retail sales workers: 59%

First-level supervisors of production and operations workers: 58%

Specialist nurses: 56%

Real estate brokers: 54%

News analysts, reporters, and journalists: 53%

Computer and information systems managers: 52%

First-level supervisors of police officers and detectives: 49%

Wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives of technical and scientific products: 47%

Lawyers: 46%

Project management specialists: 42%

Child, family, and school social workers: 42%

Medical secretaries and administrative assistants: 42%

Stockbrokers, commodities, and financial services agents: 42%

First-level supervisors of administrative and office support: 41%

Financial investment analysts: 41%

Entertainers and recreation leaders: 37%

Registered nurses: 37%

Property, real estate, and community association managers: 34%

Financial managers: 32%

Producers and directors: 31%

Audio and video technicians: 30%

Hotel concierges: 29%

Order management employees: 28%

Real estate agents: 27%

Pharmacists: 26%

Accountants and auditors: 24%

Mechanical engineers: 23%

Industrial engineers: 17%

Film and video editors: 17%

Despite these projections, OpenAI clarified that the study's objective is not to claim that humans will imminently lose their jobs.