AI may not eliminate all entry-level jobs, but it could make them more difficult, a new study finds.
A survey of 1,500 executives released on Tuesday found that while nearly half of respondents expect AI to have a positive impact on demand for entry-level employees, they also believe AI will emphasize different skill sets for these roles.
According to a report published by the Strada Institute for the Future of Work, 42% of employers who have considered using AI feel that the technology has “increased their responsibility to rely on analysis and judgment,” and 41% said it has “reduced their day-to-day and administrative tasks.”
In the technology industry, 60% of employers who considered using AI perceived an increase in analytical and judgment-based responsibilities for entry-level employees, and 54% saw a decrease in the need for work to cover day-to-day tasks.
“Employers who expect AI to increase entry-level hires report that these roles are becoming more complex, while employers who expect to hire fewer people are using AI to automate basic tasks,” the report states.
This sentiment is not uniform across the industry. In the hospitality, leisure and arts sectors, 28% saw an increase in analytical and judgment-based skills and a 35% decrease in daily tasks.
Billionaire and founder Mark Cuban told Business Insider that it’s difficult to draw conclusions from this report alone. Still, he says it’s natural for companies to expect more from their young employees.
“What people used to think of as entry-level positions where you go out there and do boring work is gone,” Cuban said.
“Today, when companies hire you, they expect you to hit the ground running, regardless of your background,” Cuban said. “That makes sense because they’re trying to compete in a new AI world.”
Advances in AI are raising concerns that entry-level roles are becoming harder to land, especially for new software engineers, as big tech companies continue to cut staff.
Still, one study published last year found that 67% of publicly traded company CEOs surveyed said they expected AI to increase entry-level hiring.
Strada’s report similarly found that executives who expect to see job growth thanks to AI are more likely to have AI tools that are strategically integrated, meaning they have “a clear company-wide plan for using AI across all teams to contribute to business success.”