Are you worried that artificial intelligence is coming for your job? The same goes for the federal government, which is enough, at least, to allocate $50 million to retrain workers for new skills.

One of the key promises in the federal budget released on Tuesday is $2.3 billion in investments aimed at boosting technology adoption and the artificial intelligence industry in Canada.

Alongside that, there was a promise to invest $50 million over four years "to support workers who may be affected by artificial intelligence," and workers in "sectors and communities that may be disrupted" will receive training in new skills through the Sectoral Workforce Solutions Program.

Jewel Blit, an assistant professor of economics at the University of Waterloo, said, "There's a major shift in the economy and society looming around artificial intelligence."

Some jobs will be lost, and others will be created, "but there will be a transitional period that may be somewhat messy."

While jokes about robots coming to take jobs preceded the arrival of generative AI systems in late 2022, the widespread availability of systems like ChatGPT has made those fears real for many, even as workers across various industries began integrating the technology into their workdays.

In June 2023, a briefing note to Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland warned that the impact of generative artificial intelligence "will be felt across all industries and could affect about 40 percent of all work hours."

The note, obtained through access to information and citing data from Accenture: "It appears that banking, insurance, and energy have greater potential for transformation compared to other sectors."

"This could have significant impacts on jobs and skill requirements."

The budget only identifies "creative industries" as the affected sector to be covered by the program. In February, Canadian television, film, and music industry companies asked members of parliament for protection from artificial intelligence, saying the technology threatens their livelihoods and reputations.

The Canadian Ministry of Finance did not respond to questions about which sectors or types of jobs would be covered under the program.

Caroline Therrien, deputy spokesperson for financial affairs, stated, "Creative industries were used as an illustrative example, and it was not intended to exclude other affected areas."

In an interview earlier this year, Bea Bronski, head of the Canadian Labour Congress, said unions representing actors and directors are extremely concerned about how AI systems use their forms or works, adding, "But the truth is we need to look at the impacts of artificial intelligence on all jobs."

Blit explained that large language models and other generative AI technologies can write, come up with new ideas, test those ideas, analyze data, as well as create computer code, music, images, and videos.

The targeted individuals are those working in managerial professions, such as those in marketing, healthcare, law, and accounting.

She said that in the long term, "it's extremely difficult to predict who will be affected." "What will happen is entire industries and processes will be reimagined around this new technology."

Hugh Polio, spokesperson for the Canadian Union of Public Employees, said in an email that AI poses a problem "across various sectors, but certainly writing jobs and customer service positions are more at risk."

A new study published earlier this month revealed that the federal government has used artificial intelligence in nearly 300 projects and initiatives.

According to Viet Vu, director of economic research at Toronto Metropolitan University, the impact of artificial intelligence on workers in sectors such as the creative industry does not have to be negative.

He said, "That is only the case if it is adopted irresponsibly," pointing out that creative professionals have been relying on new digital tools in their work for years.

He noted that only four percent of Canadian businesses use any type of artificial intelligence or machine learning. "So we haven't reached those leading models and pioneering technologies yet" to make an impact.

Vu said when it comes to how artificial intelligence will affect the job market, it is helpful to think about the types of tasks that technology can do better, rather than whether it will replace entire jobs.

Jobs consist of many different tasks, and sometimes even if new technology emerges and it is possible to accomplish 20 or 30 percent of your work using AI, you still have 60 or 70 percent remaining."

"So it is rare for an entire occupation to be wiped out due to technology."

The Canada Finance Agency has also not responded to questions about the new skills workers will learn.

Vu said there are two types of skills that make sense to focus on in retraining - computational thinking, or understanding how computers work and making decisions, and data handling skills.

He said there is no artificial intelligence system in the world that does not use data. "Thus, the ability to actually understand how to organize data, how to use it, and even some basic data analysis skills, will go a long way."

But given the scale of the change that artificial intelligence technology is set to bring, critics say $50 million will be necessary.

Blit noted that the funds are a good first step but will not be "anywhere near enough" when it comes to the scale of the upcoming transformation, which will be similar to globalization or the adoption of computers.

Valerio Di Stefano, head of Canadian Research at York University’s Law, Innovation, and Society, agrees that more resources are needed.

He said, "Jobs may be reduced to a level where retraining may not be adequate," and the government should look into "forms of unconditional income support, such as basic income."

The government should also consider requiring artificial intelligence companies "to directly contribute to the costs of any social initiative that takes care of those losing jobs due to technology" and demand "employers who reduce wages and increase profits thanks to artificial intelligence do the same."

"Otherwise, society will end up supporting technology companies and others as they boost their profits without giving enough back for technology to benefit us all."