Switchboard Operator, Including Answering Service

Operate telephone business systems equipment or switchboards to relay incoming, outgoing, and interoffice calls. May supply information to callers and record messages.

Over the next 5-10 years, AI will profoundly impact switchboard operators by automating routine call handling, message taking, and call routing. This will likely lead to a significant reduction in demand for human operators, as AI-powered virtual assistants become increasingly sophisticated. Remaining roles may shift towards managing AI systems or handling only complex, critical, or highly empathetic interactions that require human nuance.