Artificial intelligence is changing the job market unevenly, and young workers may be bearing the heaviest costs. An October 13 Washington Post opinion article argues that AI is weakening the entry-level opportunities that traditionally help graduates build careers, even as it makes experienced employees more productive. The central concern is not simply whether machines will replace workers, but whether newcomers will still get opportunities to develop expertise.
The Disappearing First Rung
Research from Stanford University’s Digital Economy Lab analyzed payroll records from ADP covering millions of American workers. Researchers grouped occupations by their exposure to AI and tracked employment since ChatGPT’s release in 2022. Although employment grew across all five exposure groups overall, workers ages 22 to 25 experienced declining employment in the most AI-exposed occupations. Experienced workers in those occupations showed no comparable divergence.
That contrast points toward a hiring problem rather than a universal wave of dismissals. Companies can retain seasoned employees while reducing opportunities for beginners. Software development illustrates the dilemma: debugging code and managing ticket queues are tasks AI can handle, but they have also served as practical training for junior developers. Automating that work risks removing the apprenticeships through which future experts acquire judgment and experience.
What Makes Work More Resilient?
The article identifies accountability, physical presence and human relationships as important features of jobs less vulnerable to automation. Demand for entry-level home health aides, for example, is rising. Their responsibilities require hands-on care and trust that cannot simply be transferred to a chatbot. Such work also depends on practical knowledge that may never have been formally documented.
Examining OpenAI’s framework for assessing job transitions, the article considers whether AI can perform substantial portions of an occupation, whether adoption is already happening, whether humans must remain responsible for outcomes, and whether lower prices could stimulate enough demand to create additional work. The framework places 18 percent of jobs at high automation risk, suggests almost half are less likely to change soon, and identifies 12% as potentially growing through AI-enabled improvements or affordability. OpenAI does have commercial incentives to emphasize its technology’s positive impact, however.
Greater efficiency can expand output rather than eliminate positions. A YouGov survey of more than 1,000 British teachers found roughly 80 percent used AI professionally. About half reported lighter workloads, but only around one-third worked fewer hours. Time saved often went toward backlogs or additional responsibilities.
AI may also lower barriers to entrepreneurship. A survey found that Gen Z entrepreneurs accounted for 9 percent of new businesses in 2025, compared with 5% for baby boomers, with younger founders more likely to use AI.
Still, entrepreneurship cannot repair a weakened hiring pipeline on its own. Wu’s broader message is that young people should seek work grounded in human connection, responsibility and real-world presence, while recognizing that AI can simultaneously narrow traditional career entrances and widen possibilities for independent achievement.
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