SALT LAKE CITY — “Robots are going to take over our jobs” has been a common refrain for the past several years as AI innovation develops in the tech sphere.

Now there is a better idea of what jobs will be most affected by automation, and it indicates that the jobs of men, youth and underrepresented groups will be at greatest risk.

What’s happening: Brookings, a nonprofit public policy organization in Washington, D.C., recently released a report about the projected scope and impact of job automation in the workplace from the years 2016 to 2030, which they’ve dubbed the "AI era."

The report shows that men, young workers, underrepresented groups and individuals living in rural communities will likely face “significantly more acute challenges from automation ... than do women, prime-age workers, and whites."

Because of stark over- and underrepresentation of racial and ethnic groups in some job markets, Brookings reports that increased automation could “worsen existing inequalities” on the basis of gender, age, education and race.

In one example, Hispanics make up 15.5 percent of the American labor force but represent 32.6 percent of the construction and trade workforce. According to Brookings, “These jobs could see half of their current tasks automated in the AI era.”

Automation will further eliminate lower- and middle-skill jobs that help less-educated workers advance to higher-paying careers, according to Recode.

The most vulnerable jobs that will be at risk in the "AI era" are those in office administration, production, transportation and food preparation, according to the study.

These jobs are deemed “high risk” with over 70 percent of their tasks potentially automatable, according to Recode.

Up to one-third of work activities could be displaced by 2030, according to a report by the McKinsey Global Institute.

In Utah, about 1.2 million metropolitan jobs are susceptible to automation, according to the Brookings report, with rural areas reporting the greatest automation potential.

In a worst-case scenario, anywhere from 3 million to 80 million people in the U.S. could lose their jobs due to automation, Recode reports.

There are solutions to the impact increased automation could have, however.

According to Brookings, creating a universal adjustment benefit to laid-off workers, providing subsidized employment options, and creating benefit programs that could help communities impacted the most could offset the negative repercussions of the AI era.

Investment in AI and automation, although seemingly counterintuitive, could also be a solution, according to Brookings, as embracing new technology could increase both the standards of living and jobs outside of those that would be automated.