I recently had a conversation with a quick writing specialist at Fortune 50 Defense Company who changed my outlook on my journalism and communication career.
“I'm reading what's written on the wall and it's written by AI,” he told me.
That same colleague was a veteran journalist who has been a magazine editor for over 10 years and has more than 30 years of newsroom experience. So listen to him not only acknowledging the role of artificial intelligence in our industry, but also accepting what it felt rarely.
This was the first time I've heard someone discuss AI in communication without completely shutting down the conversation. But on campus, and in my class, I still hear hesitant and skepticism from peers and professors who fear what journalism means.
But outside the classroom, I look at another photo.
As an intern at a major defense company, I am exposed to AI not only to advanced technology systems but also to everyday communication work. From writing press releases to building internal messaging strategies, AI is part of your daily workflow. I don't feel like AI will replace anyone, but I'm restructuring the work.
This brings me to the question that most of us quietly ask: What about the job market?
“There's always something going on in the job market, and it raises some concern about a decline in employment,” said Aaron Sturgill, executive director of career preparation at Ohio University. He considers AI to be a current concern for early career experts.
Earlier this month, the Wall Street Journal reported that “one in five S&P 500 companies have fewer employees than they had been in the decade.”
“I think (AI) is restructuring what entry-level work means,” Sturgill says. “And we don't know that we still understand how to translate it.”
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy warned in a company-wide note that AI could move forward rapidly, cut down on corporate jobs, and lead to the overall enterprise as AI agents take over routine tasks.
For me, it is clear that companies are moving from traditional triangular workforces with many entry-level roles to diamond shapes with fewer entry-level roles and with more mid-level experts. This change has made me worried that someone like me will be preparing her to enter her fourth grade and find a full-time job.
There are real consequences to this uncertainty. A recent LinkedIn report found Generation Z experts are the most pessimistic about their careers, citing AI, political instability and a reduced pool of employment opportunities.
Sturgill says students should not panic, and believes that students can fight their worries by mapping long-term goals and creating benchmarks based on general market information.
“You can't always start three steps from your dream job,” Sturgill said. “So I think you know you have an ideal plan, you have a backup plan and you have a career coach here (Ohio University).”
According to Sturgill, early career experts can step in by learning to use AI tools for their work and being “curious”; Some professors at OU have shifted their class structure to prepare students for this change. One of them is Quang Nguyen, an adjunct professor of media studies who currently holds a master's degree in AI through the Computer Science program.
Nguyen utilized Python and a large-scale language model to analyze over 3,000 journalistic articles for his papers. He now encourages students to accept AI as a “productive assistant, not a master” and uses it to support research and ideas organizations.
Nguyen feels that students are not afraid of AI, but sees it as a tool to improve both the quality of work and speed. As AI takes on more cognitive tasks, Nguyen said he believes emotional intelligence is more valuable than IQ, and emphasizes the increasing importance of how we treat each other.
“I don't think IQ is that important anymore,” Nguyen said. “But how EQ treats each other is even more important, as AI now empowers thinking.”
At OU's Business College, Ehsan Ardjmand, Associate Professor and Director of the Masters of Business Analytics, is also preparing for future students. Ardjmand said it is important to stay with evolving technology in business and that the course is structured to enable students to use AI and machine learning as “backpack tools.”
“When it comes to business, we tend to be more confidential and very open to change compared to the engineering department,” Ardjmand said. “We have started seriously introducing AI topics into our courses. Most importantly, we have also started meeting certificates with AI.”
The film has emerged from moments of frustration, feeling surrounded by voices resisting change, dismissing AI as just another passing threat. But AI is not a threat, and it is written on the wall. It is created by the very technology we fear, clear and inevitable. It's not here that replaces us. It's a tool and we're waiting for you to decide how to use it. Ignoring it does not protect us. It only guarantees we will be delayed.
Abby Wechter is a senior researcher in strategic communication at Ohio University. Please note that the columnist's opinions and opinions do not reflect the opinions of the posts. Is there anything you want to say? Please email Abby aw087421@ohio.edu.
