AI will affect 40% of jobs and probably worsen inequality, says IMF head

Jobs in telemarketing, or cold-calling people to offer goods or services, have higher potential to being affected by AI, the IMF said. Photograph: Image Source/Getty Images

Artificial intelligence will affect 40% of jobs around the world and it is “crucial” that countries build social safety nets to mitigate the impact on vulnerable workers, according to the head of the International Monetary Fund.

AI, the term for computer systems that can perform tasks usually associated with human levels of intelligence, is poised to profoundly change the global economy with advanced economies at greater risk of disruption.