Neural Networks to Take Jobs from 7.5% of Russians: Who Is at Risk and Why?

This was reported by Kommersant. Employees of industrial regions and major metropolitan areas will be affected the most.

The Amur Region (8.06%), Novgorod Region (8.05%), and Kursk Region (8%) are at the highest risk, the authors of the forecast note. In St. Petersburg, 7.97% of workers are under threat; in Moscow, 7.87%. The researchers do not disclose the actual figures of possible layoffs “so as not to alarm the public.”

The probability of replacement by neural networks reaches 82% for rank-and-file employees, 64% for mid-level specialists, and 60% for senior executives. Blue-collar professions are the least affected: the probability of automation for skilled workers is estimated at 48%, and for unskilled workers at only 37%.

Some experts do not share these concerns. Pavel Voronin, head of MTS Web Services, stated at the CIPR 2026 forum that 69% of Russian companies are not implementing AI, although the labor shortage will reach 11 million people by 2030. According to him, the problem is not mass replacement but a lack of qualified personnel and the slow adoption of technologies.

Experts propose launching a large-scale restructuring of Russia’s education system toward teaching flexible technology skills from an early age. In the future, AI will not simply replace people but rather redistribute jobs in favor of candidates who can effectively use innovations in everyday practice, they уточнили.