Estimated Reading Time: 18-22 minutes (3,646 words)

Introduction

We are living through one of the fastest and most profound labour-market transformations in human history. Over the past decade, advances in artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, robotic process automation (RPA), and cloud-based digital workflows have shifted how work gets done across industries — from banking and retail to education, healthcare, and IT services. Tasks that once required human effort — like data entry, document processing, scheduling, customer support, and even basic content creation — are increasingly being handled by intelligent software or automated systems.

What seemed like science fiction in the early 2010s is now a mainstream reality. For example:

• AI chatbots can manage customer queries 24/7 in multiple languages, reducing the need for large call-centre teams.
  
• RPA tools can extract, verify, and process financial or administrative data faster than humans, minimizing errors and operational costs.
  
• Generative AI can draft reports, marketing copy, or even simple code snippets, challenging roles previously thought “creative-only.”
  

Globally, the World Economic Forum (WEF 2025) estimates that about 92 million jobs may be displaced by technological shifts over the next decade, even as new roles emerge. India, with its massive workforce in BPO, IT services, banking, and administrative roles, is particularly exposed: millions of jobs that are routine or repetitive could be significantly reduced or reshaped by 2035.

As a result, some decades-old careers — especially those based on repetitive, rule-based, or process-driven tasks — are at risk of shrinking or disappearing entirely. This isn’t just a warning; it’s a call to action. Workers, students, and career planners must understand these trends to pivot strategically, upskill, and embrace future-ready roles.

In this article, you’ll find:

• A data-backed list of 10 careers most likely to shrink or vanish globally and in India;
  
• Insights into why these jobs are vulnerable, with real-world examples;
  
• Guidance on which roles are likely to survive or grow, and the skills that will remain in demand;
  
• Practical advice on how you or someone you know can pivot, reskill, and future-proof their career.
  

If you (or someone you care about) are currently working in one of these roles, now is the time to understand the risks, plan your next move, and adapt to the future of work. Ignoring these trends could mean getting left behind in a rapidly evolving employment landscape.

Why Many Careers Are at Risk — The Technology + Market Trends

The labor market is undergoing a profound transformation driven by the convergence of AI, automation, digital workflows, and evolving business models. Understanding why certain careers are at risk requires examining both technological drivers and market forces, as well as regional factors like India’s rapid digital adoption.

---

🔹 The Driving Forces

1. AI & Automation Maturity
AI and automation technologies have advanced to the point where they can perform many tasks more efficiently, accurately, and cheaply than humans. Today, roles involving data entry, document processing, routine writing/editing, basic analysis, and customer-service responses are increasingly automated.

• Data Entry & Document Processing: Robotic Process Automation (RPA) can extract, verify, and input large datasets with near-zero error rates.
  
• Content & Writing Tasks: Generative AI tools (like GPT-based assistants) can create reports, emails, and marketing copy, reducing demand for routine editors or content writers.
  
• Customer Support: AI chatbots handle tier-1 customer queries in multiple languages, providing instant resolutions 24/7.
  

According to Impact Lab and All About AI, these technologies are already replacing many mid-level office roles, signaling a long-term contraction in certain job categories (Impact Lab, All About AI).

---

2. Employer Cost & Efficiency Pressures
Organizations are increasingly prioritizing speed, efficiency, and cost optimization. Automated workflows and self-service technologies allow businesses to reduce human labor costs without compromising output.

• Banking & Financial Services: ATMs, mobile banking, and AI-assisted back-office operations reduce the need for tellers and clerks.
  
• Retail & E-commerce: Self-checkout systems and AI inventory management reduce reliance on cashiers and stock clerks.
  
• BPO & Call Centres: AI-powered virtual assistants replace routine inquiry handling.
  

Reports from The Times of India and Inquirer Technology highlight that many companies see automation as a necessary strategy to remain competitive in a post-pandemic, digitized economy (Times of India, Inquirer Technology).

---

3. Rapid Pace of Adoption + Digital Infrastructure
India is experiencing one of the fastest digital transformations globally, with a surge in digital payments, online services, remote work, and cloud-based platforms. This rapid adoption accelerates exposure to automation and AI.

• Digital Payments & Banking: Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and digital wallets reduce the need for bank tellers or transaction clerks.
  
• Remote Work & Cloud Tools: Online collaboration platforms, automated scheduling, and AI-driven workflow management diminish administrative support roles.
  

A 2025 report from IJFMR emphasizes that India’s large service sector workforce faces accelerated automation risks due to this digital infrastructure growth (IJFMR Report).

---

4. Shifting Skill Requirements
As technology assumes routine tasks, the demand for human skills is shifting toward creativity, critical thinking, emotional intelligence, and complex problem-solving. By 2030, an estimated 39% of workers’ current skills may become obsolete, emphasizing the need for upskilling and reskilling.

The World Economic Forum highlights that while technical skills remain important, soft skills combined with domain expertise are increasingly essential for career resilience (WEF Future of Jobs Report 2025).

---

🔹 What Leading Global Data Shows

• The World Economic Forum (WEF, 2025) projects that 92 million jobs globally could be displaced by automation, AI, and structural shifts by 2030. At the same time, new jobs will emerge, but the net effect will vary significantly across sectors. (Business Today)
  
• Jobs with repetitive, standardized, or predictable tasks are most vulnerable, while roles requiring judgment, creativity, and problem-solving are more resilient.
  
• Even knowledge-based, non-routine jobs are at risk if they involve extensive information gathering, summarizing, or basic analysis, as AI tools increasingly handle these efficiently. (India Today, arXiv 2025)
  

---

In short: the automation wave is no longer limited to manufacturing or manual labor. It is now transforming clerical, administrative, office, and even some knowledge-work roles, both globally and in India. Understanding these forces is critical for anyone planning a career path in the coming decade.

Top 10 Careers Likely to Disappear by 2035

Based on the latest global and India-specific research, the following 10 career categories are most at risk of shrinking drastically or becoming obsolete by 2035.

⚠️ Note: “Disappear” here does not mean zero jobs. Rather, it refers to significant contraction, automation-driven displacement, or redefinition of the role.

#	Career / Role	Why It’s Vulnerable / What’s Changing	References
1	Data Entry Clerks	Tasks like entering, cleaning, and processing data are now handled more efficiently by AI-powered OCR systems and Robotic Process Automation (RPA). Errors are lower, speed is higher, and costs are significantly reduced. Forecasts place data-entry clerks among the highest-risk roles for automation, both globally and in India’s BPO and administrative sectors.	DQ India, Impact Lab
2	Cashiers & Ticket Clerks (Retail / Transit / Entertainment)	Self-checkout systems, digital wallets, contactless payments, and online booking platforms reduce the need for manual cashiers and ticket clerks. Globally, these roles are declining as companies adopt AI-assisted transaction systems. In India, the rise of UPI, Paytm, and digital ticketing apps accelerates the risk.	WEF 2025, Times of India
3	Administrative Assistants / Executive Secretaries / Receptionists	AI-driven scheduling, virtual assistants, automated email management, and digital document workflows are replacing traditional office support roles. Many repetitive administrative tasks no longer require human intervention.	Times of India, All About AI
4	Bank Tellers / Postal Clerks / Back-Office Clerks	With digital banking, e-statements, online transactions, and automated back-office operations, the demand for tellers and clerks is falling. India’s postal and banking clerical workforce faces significant contraction due to AI and RPA.	Inquirer Technology, Impact Lab
5	Telemarketers / Routine Sales-Outreach / Cold-Calling Roles	AI-powered dialing, automated outreach, chatbots, and lead scoring systems can now handle large volumes of repetitive sales and marketing tasks, reducing the need for human telemarketers.	DQ India, Medium
6	Proofreaders / Basic Editors / Simple Content Writers	Generative AI and grammar-editing tools can draft, proofread, and edit low-complexity content at scale. Routine editorial tasks, basic blogging, and standardized writing are increasingly automated.	DQ India, India Today
7	Customer Service Representatives / Call-Centre Agents	Chatbots, virtual assistants, and AI-driven support platforms handle routine Tier-1 queries in multiple languages. Human staffing for first-line support is decreasing, especially in Indian BPO and service sectors.	All About AI, IJFMR
8	Accounting / Bookkeeping / Payroll Clerks	AI-based accounting software and automated payroll systems reduce manual bookkeeping and repetitive accounting tasks. Routine finance clerks are being replaced by smart, rule-based software.	Forbes, Medium
9	Entry-Level Software / QA / Low-Complexity IT Support	AI-assisted coding, testing, debugging, and quality assurance tools are performing repetitive IT tasks. Entry-level developers and testers with routine responsibilities are most vulnerable, though complex software development remains safe.	India Today, arXiv
10	Print / Transaction-Based Clerical & Ticketing Roles	Roles involving manual printing, physical ticketing, form processing, and simple clerical transactions are shrinking due to digitalization, online booking systems, and automated workflows.	WEF 2025, Forbes

---

Key Insight:
The automation wave is expanding beyond manufacturing. By 2035, even office-based, administrative, and knowledge-work roles will face transformation. To remain employable, workers must adapt, upskill, and focus on roles that require creativity, judgment, and advanced technical skills.

What This Means — Global & India-Specific Context

The trends we’ve discussed aren’t abstract predictions — they have real-world implications for workers, employers, and policymakers worldwide. Understanding the scale, speed, and regional nuances is critical for career planning, workforce development, and business strategy.

---

🌐 Global Outlook

According to the World Economic Forum (WEF) “Future of Jobs Report 2025”, while new roles will emerge, about 92 million existing jobs globally are projected to be displaced by 2030 due to AI, automation, and structural economic shifts. Roles most affected include:

• Clerical and back-office positions
  
• Cashiers and tellers
  
• Ticketing and administrative support
  

These roles involve routine, repetitive, or transactional tasks that AI and automation can perform faster, more accurately, and at lower cost. (WEF 2025, Business Today)

The impact is unevenly distributed:

• High-tech, AI-ready economies like the U.S., Germany, and Singapore may experience faster disruption but also faster creation of new roles in AI development, data analysis, digital marketing, and creative fields.
  
• Low-tech adoption regions may face slower disruption but risk lagging in emerging, higher-paying roles, creating economic and skill gaps.
  

Global businesses must therefore balance automation gains with workforce reskilling to avoid social and operational risks.

---

🇮🇳 India’s Situation

India’s workforce presents a unique double challenge: a large number of at-risk roles combined with varying readiness for AI-driven disruption.

• Key sectors with vulnerable roles:
  
  • BPO & Call Centres: Tier-1 customer support increasingly handled by chatbots and AI tools.
    
  • Banking & Financial Services: Tellers, clerks, and back-office roles declining due to digital banking and automated processes.
    
  • Retail & Ticketing: Cashiers, booking agents, and physical transaction clerks shrinking due to UPI, e-wallets, and self-service kiosks.
    
  • Administrative / Data Entry: Large-scale clerical work in corporate and government offices is under automation pressure.
    

A 2025 academic study comparing India and the U.S. highlighted that India has a disproportionately high share of employment in low-skill, high-automation-risk jobs, creating a “double vulnerability”:

1. High job-risk due to automation readiness in these roles
   
2. Low AI-preparedness, limiting smooth transition to higher-skill employment (arXiv 2025)
   

The pace of AI adoption in India’s services, fintech, and outsourcing sectors suggests disruption could occur faster than in economies with similar GDP per capita. Workers who remain in repetitive roles without upskilling risk displacement or wage stagnation.

Implication: Reskilling is no longer optional — the shift toward knowledge-based, skill-intensive, and creative roles is urgent for India’s workforce. Sectors like digital marketing, AI-assisted analytics, cloud computing, and specialized IT support are likely to grow and absorb workers who upskill in time.

---

Key Takeaways:

• Globally, automation is creating both displacement and new opportunities — but not everyone benefits equally.
  
• India faces accelerated disruption due to large-scale employment in vulnerable roles, but also offers massive opportunity for skill-driven career growth if reskilling initiatives scale up.
  
• Strategic action — for workers, businesses, and policymakers — is essential to navigate the next decade.

How to Future-Proof Your Career: Skills & Pivot Paths

If you or someone you know is currently working in — or planning to work in — one of the roles at risk of automation, the time to act is now. The key is to focus on skills that are least automatable, pivot into growth-oriented roles, and commit to continuous learning.

---

✅ 1. Focus on Skills That Are Least Automatable

Automation and AI excel at repetitive, rule-based tasks, but struggle with complex, human-centered skills. These are the areas to prioritize:

a) Cognitive & Problem-Solving Skills

• Complex problem-solving, critical thinking, and creative reasoning remain highly resistant to automation.
  
• Example roles: strategy analyst, innovation consultant, design thinking facilitator.
  

b) Emotional Intelligence & People Skills

• Leadership, negotiation, collaboration, mentorship, and relationship management are vital in hybrid roles that combine human empathy with digital workflows.
  
• Example roles: team lead in tech projects, HR business partner, care economy roles (healthcare support, counseling).
  

c) Domain Expertise + Human Judgment

• Specialized knowledge combined with judgment is hard to replace.
  
• Example domains: finance compliance, legal advisory, risk assessment, strategy consulting.
  

d) Digital & Tech-Adjacent Skills

• Understanding AI tools, data analysis, programming, cloud computing, cybersecurity, and data science increases career resilience.
  
• Example roles: AI supervisor, data analyst, cybersecurity analyst, product/project manager.
  

e) Hybrid Roles

• Jobs combining human empathy + domain expertise will grow.
  
• Examples: healthcare support specialists, educational facilitators, creative arts managers, user experience (UX) designers.
  

According to the World Economic Forum, nearly 39% of workers’ current skills may be outdated by 2030, underscoring the need for proactive upskilling (WEF 2025).

---

✅ 2. Pivot / Upskill Toward Growth-Oriented Roles

Here are concrete pivot paths for at-risk careers:

At-Risk Role	Recommended Pivot / Upskill	India-Specific Opportunities
Data Entry Clerk	Learn data analytics, data cleaning, RPA supervision, or database management	Platforms: Coursera, Udemy, NASSCOM AI/ML courses; roles in BPO analytics & fintech
Cashier / Teller	Move to e-commerce operations, digital payments support, or fintech customer success	Fintech apps (Paytm, PhonePe, Razorpay) often hire digital operations specialists
Administrative / Executive Support	Transition to project coordination, operations management, or AI-assisted virtual assistance	Online courses in project management (PMI, Coursera), AI workflow tools training
Customer Service / Call Centre	Shift to specialized support, relationship management, or human-centered customer success	Customer success roles in SaaS, e-commerce, and fintech sectors
Entry-Level QA / Coding	Upskill to full-stack development, AI-assisted coding, product management, or solutions architecture	IT hubs in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune; bootcamps: upGrad, Great Learning

---

✅ 3. Continuous Learning & Flexibility

The only constant in the coming decade is change. To stay relevant:

• Commit to lifelong learning: Enroll in online courses, vocational training, certifications, or workshops.
  
• Reskill in high-demand sectors: AI/ML, data science, digital marketing, fintech, cloud computing, cybersecurity, healthcare tech.
  
• Stay adaptable: Hybrid roles, interdisciplinary skills, and cross-functional expertise will increasingly determine employability.
  
• Leverage Indian platforms for reskilling: NASSCOM reskilling programs, SWAYAM, Coursera, Udemy, Great Learning, upGrad.
  

Workers who proactively upskill can transition from vulnerable roles to higher-paying, future-ready positions, while also opening opportunities for freelancing, consulting, or entrepreneurial ventures.

---

Key Takeaway:
Future-proofing your career is about strategic skill development, pivoting to growth sectors, and embracing continuous learning. In India’s rapidly digitizing economy, those who act now can secure resilient, high-demand roles in AI, data, tech-adjacent fields, and hybrid human-centric careers.

FAQs Section

✅ Key Insight:
Automation and AI are not just a threat — they are also a chance to pivot into higher-value, future-ready roles. Workers and students who embrace continuous learning, hybrid skills, and domain expertise can thrive in India’s rapidly evolving economy.

Summary

• AI and automation are not just buzzwords — they are reshaping the job market right now.
  
• By 2035, many traditional jobs — especially those based on routine, repetitive tasks — will shrink drastically or disappear.
  
• Data-entry clerks, cashiers, administrative & back-office clerks, basic customer support, routine accounting/bookkeeping, and some entry-level IT roles are among the most at-risk.
  
• But human creativity, judgment, complex thinking, empathy, and advanced technical skills remain valuable and in demand.
  
• The future belongs to those who adapt, upskill, and pivot.

Conclusion

The rise of AI, automation, and digital workflows is reshaping the global job market at an unprecedented pace. By 2035, many careers once considered “safe” — particularly those based on routine, repetitive, or rule-based tasks — are likely to see a significant reduction in human-held positions, with some roles potentially disappearing altogether in several sectors.

However, disruption also brings opportunity. Workers who proactively reskill, upskill, and pivot toward roles requiring human judgment, creativity, complex problem-solving, and technical expertise can position themselves for long-term success. Industries such as tech, fintech, AI-enabled services, care economy, and creative sectors are expected to absorb talent that adapts early.

For anyone currently in a vulnerable role, the key message is clear: don’t wait for change to force your hand. Begin planning your career pivot, focus on acquiring in-demand skills, and embrace roles that leverage uniquely human abilities. Acting now can turn potential displacement into a pathway to a future-ready, resilient, and fulfilling career.

References

1. World Economic Forum (WEF), Future of Jobs Report 2025 – Global job displacement and creation estimates: WEF Report 2025
   
2. International Labour Organization (ILO), Generative AI & Jobs 2025 Update – Occupational exposure analysis: ILO Report
   
3. McKinsey & Company, Jobs Lost, Jobs Gained 2025 – Automation scenarios and firm readiness: McKinsey Report
   
4. NITI Aayog, Government of India – AI & Future of Work Roadmap – India-specific policy and reskilling plans: NITI Aayog AI Report
   
5. Times of India, “These 5 Jobs Are Vanishing Silently” (2025) – Media coverage of at-risk roles: Times of India Article
   
6. India Today, “Microsoft Reveals Jobs Most Affected by AI” (2025) – AI’s impact on various roles: India Today Article
   
7. DQ India, “Top 10 Jobs Most Likely to Be Replaced by AI” (2025) – Career-specific AI risk analysis: DQ India Article
   
8. Impact Lab, “The First Five Jobs to Vanish 2025–2040” – Forecast on disappearing roles: Impact Lab Article