This month’s lackluster employment numbers spurred talk that artificial intelligence is destroying jobs. Whether or not that is showing up in the statistics, AI presents a different challenge than past technological disruptions—in large part because it is eliminating the entry-level positions that traditionally served as stepping stones to career advancement.
This shift helps explain a troubling pattern in workforce anxiety. A recent Pew Research survey shows that more than half of employed adults worry about how AI may be used in the workplace. A September Deutsche Bank survey reports that 24% of workers under 35 express high concern about losing their jobs to AI, compared with only 10% of those over 55.
It’s been historically true that younger workers embrace new technologies while older workers resist change. But AI seems to have flipped this dynamic. When AI automates routine tasks, organizations often find they need experienced employees who can combine AI capabilities with years of business knowledge. What those organizations don’t need is entry-level employees learning the basics. Data shows rising unemployment since 2022 among 22- to 25-year-olds in AI-affected sectors—even while employment for older workers remains stable.
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