Supermarket workers at high risk of being replaced by automation

British supermarket workers are more likely to be replaced by machines than any other job according to a new study.

Consumer experts at NetVoucherCodes.co.uk looked at over 400 jobs across the country to assess how likely they are to be replaced by automation with supermarket workers falling in the highest risk category.

Many supermarkets have been reducing the number of workers behind main till checkouts over the last decade and have replaced them with self-service machines.

A recent study found over 96% of grocery stores across the world have already deployed a version of a fixed self-checkout.

According to statistics from Statista, the global self-checkout market will be worth almost $8 billion by 2029. However, the frustration of having fewer people behind tills is common for customers who prefer to have a person assisting them with their shopping, rather than a machine.

And the number crunchers warn the data may indicate a future where no supermarket workers are sitting behind a till, but rather fully self-service machines, resulting in fewer jobs available.

The data analysts at NetVoucherCodes.co.uk used the AI bot ChatGPT to analyse over 400 job roles using the ONS Employee earnings in the UK 2022 survey to find out how at risk they are from automation and AI, with supermarket workers having an alarming risk of being replaced.

Artificial intelligence refers to technology that has been programmed to think and learn like a human because this technology mimics the way people think and behave.

AI has the ability to replace repetitive and time-consuming tasks and free up human workers to focus on more complex things.

Automation, on the other hand, involves technology that can perform tasks automatically but it will not replace the way a human thinks or learns. So whilst other jobs like delivery drivers are at high risk of being replaced by automation, this won’t replace any human initiative.

John Stirzaker, consumer expert at NetVoucherCodes.co.uk said: “We were stunned to learn about the risk supermarket workers faced of being replaced by machines, but more alarmingly, how this has already been happening over the last decade.

“Self-service machines have appeared more frequently in recent years and some supermarkets are now opting for entirely check-out-free stores.

“While it’s an efficient way to do the food shop and shows the incredible capabilities of AI and technology advancements, it’s worrying what this means for supermarket workers across the country.

“The data we’ve pulled together shows that a lot of lower-income jobs are the ones that are at a higher risk of being replaced. When we break this down, we realise it’s because these jobs often involve a lot of the same repetitive tasks.

“This could mean that supermarket workers are likely to be replaced even more in the future as society progresses with their advancements in AI and automotive machines.

“Some customers may also feel segregated if they don’t understand how self-service machines work and there’s little assistance available to support them.

“And for those that love to have a chat with supermarket workers, it may be the only time in the day when they get to speak to someone.

“While this is a big concern for the future of many workers, the likelihood of when it will happen currently remains unknown, but as the data shows, it may be quicker than expected.”

To find out which other jobs are likely to be replaced by AI and automation, head over to the job generator on NetVoucherCodes.co.uk.