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Artificial intelligence has raised concerns that workers – particularly young professionals – could be replaced by advancing technology.
But there is evidence that older workers are also being affected, according to a new paper from the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College.
Workers aged 55 and older in AI-vulnerable industries are leaving their jobs at higher rates, economics professor Geoffrey Sanzenbacher told CNBC. These transitions are due equally to unemployment and voluntary reasons, he said.
“It is a statistically significant effect,” said Sanzenbacher. “For some jobs it can be quite large.”
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3 Ways AI Can Impact the Careers of Older Workers
According to Sanzenbacher’s research, AI can impact the length of older workers’ careers in three ways.
According to Sanzenbacher, automation could replace older workers and cause them to either become unemployed or leave the workforce altogether.
Or the pressure to adopt AI could lead some workers to either seek jobs that don’t involve these new advances or to retire entirely.
Alternatively, generative AI could allow people to work longer hours while increasing productivity, increasing wages and allowing workers to focus on demanding tasks, Sanzenbacher said.
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Research defines AI exposure based on the extent to which AI can be used to complete the tasks of a job. It draws on Current Population Survey data and AI exposure information from Tufts University’s Digital Planet initiative, which studies the impact of digital innovations.
The research found that prior to OpenAI’s launch of ChatGPT, older workers were in AI-exposed roles were significantly less likely to give up their jobs. However, after the introduction of ChatGPT, they were slightly more likely to leave the workforce and even become unemployed.
AI can reduce differences in career length
According to Sanzenbacher’s research, older workers who are more vulnerable to AI changes tend to be white, more likely to have a college degree and tend to have higher incomes than workers with low AI exposure.
According to the study, based on Digital Planet’s AI exposure scores, the five jobs with the highest exposure to AI – and therefore more vulnerable to change – are:
- Web and digital interface designer
- Web developer
- Database architects
- Computer programmer
- Data Scientist
The five jobs with the lowest AI exposure are:
- Excavation and loading work and mining workers
- Roofers and miners
- Nurse
- Painting and spraying workers
- Fiberglass laminators and fabricators
This challenges the notion that older workers in physically demanding jobs may have shorter career paths and therefore retire earlier than more highly educated employees.
“Exposure to AI can narrow the career length gap between low- and high-paying jobs,” Sanzenbacher wrote in the study.
Therefore, when policymakers consider possible changes to retirement ages, they should keep the potential impact of AI in mind, according to the study.
High-income workers may face cuts to their Social Security benefits
New projections suggest that the trust fund that Social Security relies on to pay retirement benefits could expire at the end of 2032, according to the most recent annual report from the program’s trustees.
To restore Social Security’s solvency, policymakers can choose from a variety of possible changes, including raising the retirement age. When the last major reforms to the program were passed in 1983, lawmakers decided to gradually increase the retirement age from 65 to 67 years.
Raising the age limit could be considered in upcoming reforms, although some experts claim the change is not a short-term solution. Policymakers could also choose to increase payroll taxes on high earners, a popular proposal among Democratic lawmakers.
“There is a high likelihood that higher-income people will see larger benefit reductions than lower-income people, whatever happens next with Social Security,” Sanzenbacher said.
“These are exactly the people who have to work longer because of this,” he said.
Meanwhile, depending on how AI impacts the workforce, those workers’ ability to do their jobs could also be affected, Sanzenbacher said.
What older workers can do to catch up
Older workers are adopting AI, but not as frequently as younger workers, Sanzenbacher said.
Recent AARP research finds that workers view AI as both a threat and an opportunity. While 24% of the 1,015 adults ages 50 and older surveyed said they see AI as a threat to their jobs, 19% said they see it as an opportunity. Meanwhile, 37% said both, according to responses in March.
Separate research from AARP and LinkedIn found that experienced professionals are more likely to fill positions insulated from disruption from generative AI, with 49.4% of older workers compared to 42.2% of younger workers.
According to the study, older workers’ jobs are more likely to require skills that AI cannot easily replicate, such as collaboration, judgment and leadership.
For older professionals who haven’t yet started using AI, it’s not too late, Vicki Salemi, career expert at Monster, told CNBC.com via email.
Monster’s December WorkWatch report found that 42% of 1,504 workers surveyed are not using AI at all. Among workers who use it, the most popular applications include basic tasks such as email, scheduling and writing assistance, Monster noted. Others use it for advanced tasks like coding, automation, or data analysis; Applications, including resumes and cover letters; or creative work such as graphics, campaigns and content, according to the study.
Older workers may want to take a two-pronged approach to adapting to today’s workforce – gaining AI skills while doubling down on their soft skills, Salemi said.
A good place to start might be to familiarize yourself with the AI tools your employer already uses, which can help you maximize time for deeper thinking, she said.
At the same time, whether you want to excel in your current role or in a position you’re applying for, don’t forget to emphasize soft skills like communication, relationship building, and problem solving.
“If you can demonstrate that you have strong soft skills and the ability to evolve and grow with new technologies, that can be a green light for your candidacy,” Salemi said.
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https://www.cnbc.com/2026/07/13/ai-older-workers-careers.html
