North Savonia welfare region replaces nearly 50 secretaries and typists with AI

The North Savonia welfare region in Finland will cut 48 secretarial and typing positions, replacing manual transcription of doctors’ dictations with AI-powered speech recognition, Yle reports.

Of the 48 positions affected, 36 employees will face layoffs—33 of them typists—while the remainder will be reduced through retirements and unfilled vacancies. The region expects the changes to save €2 million annually.

Union representatives from the Public and Private Sector Professionals’ Union (Jyty) have criticised the rapid implementation. “While AI transcription was expected, the scale and speed of this rollout is shocking,” said Mira Ahonen, Jyty’s chief shop steward. She warned that doctors may end up handling clerical tasks, diverting time from patient care.

Reetta Parviainen, another Jyty representative, acknowledged AI’s potential as a tool but stressed that human oversight remains essential. “The risk is that medical staff spend time on tasks outside their expertise, directly reducing patient care,” she said.

The welfare region’s HR director, Mari Antikainen, defended the decision, noting that AI pilots had already reduced transcription needs by nearly 40 percent. She acknowledged initial challenges but compared the shift to past transitions, such as moving from typewriters to word processors. The region has allocated resources to support doctors during the change.

Niilo Hakonen, an expert from the Municipal and Wellbeing Services Employers (KT), highlighted the broader trend: generative AI has accelerated automation in administrative roles. However, he cautioned against over-reliance on cost-cutting, as skilled secretaries often handle tasks more efficiently than doctors or managers.

The welfare region has allocated five full-time equivalent positions to assist doctors during the transition, ensuring no departmental secretaries are affected by the cuts.