‘Can AI Do My Job?’ Is the Wrong Question
The article argues that the fear of AI replacing all jobs is misguided, using the example of radiologists whose demand has increased despite AI advancements. It suggests that jobs are composed of 'clean' tasks, which are easily automated, and 'messy' tasks, which require human judgment and interpersonal skills.
Why it matters
Understanding the distinction between automatable and human-centric tasks is essential for workforce planning and career development in the age of AI.
Illustration by Alisa Gao / The Atlantic. Source: Thibault Renard / Getty. June 11, 2026, 12 PM ET Share Save In 2016, the AI pioneer Geoffrey Hinton declared that “people should stop training radiologists now” because “it’s just completely obvious that within five years, deep learning is going to do better than radiologists.” He was half right. Today, the FDA has approved more than 1,000 AI radiology tools, some capable of analyzing medical images to detect injuries or diseases with greater accuracy than human specialists. Yet radiologists—human ones—are in more demand than ever. Since 2016, the number of radiologists has risen by 17 percent, the field’s vacancy rates are near all-time highs, and the average salary has increased from about $350,000 to $570,000, making radiology the third-highest-paid medical speciality in the United States.
The piece presents a balanced economic analysis of AI's impact on the labor market.
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