New research from the University at Buffalo School of Management suggests that those at a greater risk of being displaced in the workforce by artificial intelligence (AI) are the self-employed.

The study, which was published recently by the Center for Research on Self-Employment, determined that independent sales people, agriculture and construction workers, and drivers are among those self-employed workers most likely to have their jobs eventually automated due to that work typically being classified as low in technical expertise as well as routine.

The reason for this, according to the research, is that self-employed workers have little if any access to AI resources that employees in a large corporation might have to keep abreast of such technological advancements.

After reviewing several studies concerning AI and self-employment, the team also determined that workers in occupations that require decision making, group work and negotiating are less likely to be displaced by AI as these functions require attributes that are currently difficult for AI to mimic. Researchers found that the same held true for professions such as lawyers, managers, and business and medical professions.

Additionally, the team also determined that technical jobs, for example robot maintenance or distribution of hardware for AI, will likely experience significant growth.

“It’s like when the computer revolution hit decades ago — there was great fear that computers would replace people,” said Kate Bezrukova, associate professor of organization and human resources in the University at Buffalo School of Management. “But work just shifted and IT positions grew because we needed more support for our computers and networking.”

To prepare for AI potentially displacing self-employed workers, the research team suggests developing public awareness programs to demonstrate the opportunities as well as the risks of AI. Likewise, they also recommend updating education curriculums to include news skills and tools and to conduct additional research on the topic of AI at work, with a focus on self-employment.