Your work-from-home job might be gone sooner than you think, predicts top AI expert

Speaking in a recent interview with Professor Hannah Fry, Legg argued that AI’s rapid progress toward human-level intelligence will disproportionately affect roles that can be performed entirely online using cognitive skills, according to Financial Express.

“Jobs that are purely cognitive and done remotely via a computer are particularly vulnerable,” Legg said.

He highlighted the software engineering sector as an example, suggesting that AI could allow teams of 100 engineers to shrink to just 20, reducing overall employment, especially in entry-level and remote positions.

Legg noted that the disruption will be uneven across industries. Digital-heavy roles—including those involving language, knowledge work, coding, mathematics, and complex problem-solving—are likely to be hit first.

By contrast, physical jobs requiring hands-on work, such as plumbing or construction, may remain largely unaffected for longer due to the inherent challenges of automating real-world tasks.