Will AI potentially displace young graduates from the job market?
Artificial Intelligence Presents Both Opportunities and Challenges for Young Workers, LinkedIn Director Warns
Artificial intelligence (AI) holds immense potential for economic growth and innovation, but it could also threaten the employment prospects of young people, according to Aneesh Raman, director of economic opportunities at LinkedIn.
In the United States, the unemployment rate for college graduates has increased by 30% since September 2022, a trend that Raman attributes to AI's encroachment on traditionally entry-level jobs. The tech sector, law firms, and retail industries are among those most affected, with junior developers, legal assistants, and young associates handing over critical responsibilities to AI tools.
© Getty Images
Raman's observations were published in an op-ed on The New York Times and relayed by Citron Press. He emphasizes the need for higher education to adapt to this changing landscape by incorporating AI literacy, ethical understanding, and practical tool usage within curricula.
To prepare students for the AI-driven job market, education systems should focus on nurturing adaptive skills that give human workers an added value over AI. This could involve incorporating AI into various courses, fostering AI-human collaboration abilities, and encouraging the creation of customized AI assistants.
Notably, a study conducted by LinkedIn among half a million professionals found that Generation Z is more pessimistic about their future than other age groups. This underscores the urgency of rethinking higher education to address the challenges posed by AI.
Despite the concerns, Raman emphasizes that employers should continue to hire young people, assigning them more complex tasks for which AI systems cannot compete. This approach could empower young people to thrive alongside AI advancements, reducing adverse employment effects and preparing them for future job markets.
- Policy-and-legislation should consider the impact of AI on education-and-self-development, ensuring that future generations possess the skills necessary to navigate the AI-driven job market.
- In the face of AI encroaching on entry-level jobs, career-development for young workers must prioritize adaptive skills, making them more valuable than AI.
- As AI technology continues to change the employment landscape, politics should address the rise in unemployment among young people and ensure policies foster a fair job market.
- General-news outlets should cover the employment challenges facing young workers due to AI, raising awareness and driving conversations about solutions in education-and-self-development, policy-and-legislation, and career-development.
