Pazbi Zavatzki Asks: Will AI Replace Jobs in the UK?

Last week, I caught myself having a twenty-minute conversation with ChatGPT about whether pineapple belongs on pizza. (For the record, it absolutely does.) That moment was a reminder of just how far AI has come, not just in answering questions but in mimicking human conversation. As someone who works with these technologies daily, I find it fascinating. But I also understand why it keeps many people up at night. The question I hear most often from clients and friends alike: “Is AI going to nick my job?”

The Jobs Already Being Swallowed by AI

Remember the first time you used a self-checkout? That awkward dance with the barcode scanner, the rising frustration as the machine blurted out “unexpected item in bagging area” for the tenth time. It felt clunky, unnatural, hardly the seamless future we were promised.

  Fast forward a few years, and we barely think twice about scanning our own groceries. That early awkwardness? Just growing pains. And it’s not just supermarket tills. AI has been quietly embedding itself into our daily lives, and before we know it, what once felt strange becomes second nature.

  Take manufacturing. For decades, robots have been part of the process, but they were more like automatons following strict instructions. Now? They’re learning, adapting, and handling intricate assembly tasks with a level of precision that rivals human hands.

  Customer service is another example. We all remember those useless chatbots that would endlessly respond to every request with “I’m sorry, I don’t understand.” But now? AI-powered support can troubleshoot, book appointments, and even handle complaints. Just last week, my internet provider’s chatbot fixed my connection issue in minutes, something their human customer support have never managed to do (though that might say more about their customer service skills than the AI).

  Even in finance, AI has quietly taken over tasks that once required entire teams. Loan approvals, fraud detection, risk assessment, it’s all happening in seconds, with algorithms scanning data faster than any human ever could.

  None of this happened overnight, but the pace is picking up. What once seemed like distant sci-fi is now just… how things work.

  The Jobs AI Can’t Crack (At Least Not Yet)   Despite what the doomsayers predict, plenty of jobs are still, firmly, human territory.

  Take healthcare. AI can analyse test results in seconds, but it can’t offer the reassurance of a steady hand on your shoulder or adjust its approach based on a look of fear in a patient’s eyes. During my cancer treatment, my oncologist didn’t just read my charts, she read me. She knew when to push for aggressive treatment and when to pause and explain things in a way that made me feel in control. No algorithm can do that.

  Teachers? Same story. AI can deliver lessons, sure, but great teachers see their students. A primary school teacher might notice a child struggling to read and, through tiny cues – hesitations, frustration, avoidance – realise they’re dealing with dyslexia. Though there are some AI assessment tools, that can help speed up diagnosis, in development.

  And creativity? AI can mimic, remix, and churn out endless variations of existing work. But true art isn’t just about patterns and rules, it’s about emotion, experience, and intent. AI can paint in Picasso’s style, but it will never understand why he painted Guernica.

  Then there are the skilled trades. Fixing a leaky pipe isn’t just about following a set of instructions, it’s about improvising when reality doesn’t match the blueprint. When my boiler packed up last winter, the plumber had to navigate a mess of Victorian pipework that made no logical sense, something no AI could navigate.

The Real Threat Isn’t AI – It’s AI-Savvy Humans

Every technological revolution sparks fear. When mechanised looms appeared in the 1800s, textile workers smashed the machines they feared would steal their livelihoods. We call them Luddites now, but their fears weren’t irrational – they were facing genuine disruption. Yet humans adapt. We always do. The industrial revolution didn’t end work; it transformed it. My grandfather’s village had a single landline phone and a telephone operator – a job that no longer exists. My father programmed his work on early UNIX computers – a job that didn’t exist in my grandfather’s youth.

The biggest risk to your job isn’t AI itself – it’s the colleague who masters AI tools while you’re still doing things the old way.

Take content creation. I recently worked with two marketing teams. One spent days crafting email campaigns from scratch. The other used AI to generate first drafts, then added their human touch for polish. Guess which team produced three times the output with half the stress?

The productivity gap between AI users and non-users is widening daily. This isn’t science fiction; it’s happening right now in offices across the UK.

AI will open doors to jobs we haven’t even thought of yet. Companies will need AI ethics consultants to tackle tricky moral questions, specialists to refine how humans and AI collaborate, and data shepherds to keep systems accurate and fair.

Future-Proofing Your Career

So what can you actually do besides panic? You’ve got plenty of options.

Start by getting familiar with AI. You don’t need a computer science degree, just a basic understanding of what these tools can and can’t do. Set aside an hour a week to experiment with AI like ChatGPT, Claude, or Midjourney – or whatever makes sense for your field.

  Then, become the person in your workplace who actually knows how to use AI. When I introduced it at my agency, some people jumped in straight away, while others hesitated. Six months later, the early adopters were the ones no one could do without.

  At the same time, lean into what makes you human. AI can automate a lot, but it can’t replicate emotional intelligence, ethical judgment, or creative thinking. These are the skills that will only become more valuable.

  And whatever you do, don’t assume your industry is immune to change. It’s not. The best thing you can do is stay curious and adaptable, because the people who do will always have an edge.

Final Thoughts

I’m not saying the transition will be painless. It won’t be. Some jobs will disappear, and that’s genuinely worrying for those affected.

But I’ve seen firsthand how AI can eliminate the soul-crushing parts of work – the endless data entry, the repetitive emails, the mind-numbing reports – freeing us to focus on other contributions.

AI isn’t inherently good or bad. It’s a tool. What matters is how we choose to use it.

So, which part of your job do you think AI could never replace, and which bit would you happily hand over to the robots tomorrow?

By Pazbi Zavatzki

About the Author

Pazbi Zavatzki is an entrepreneur, AI specialist, and Director of Kickass Online, helping SMEs improve their digital presence and increase sales through AI, automation, and SEO. A cancer survivor and neurodiversity advocate, Pazbi is passionate about making AI accessible to all.