Artificial intelligence is beginning to reshape the job market in ways that disproportionately affect younger workers, The Wall Street Journal writes.
Stanford economists Erik Brynjolfsson, Bharat Chandar and Ruyu Chen analyzed anonymized payroll data from millions of U.S. employees and found sharp declines in entry-level employment where generative AI can automate routine tasks—software development, customer service, translation and reception work.
Among software developers ages 22 to 25, head count fell nearly 20% since late 2022, while older workers—whose broader collaboration and management skills are harder to automate—continued to see stable or rising employment.
The findings highlight a paradox: If AI eliminates the early-career tasks that once built expertise, companies may struggle to replace senior talent in the future. Yet the research also points to opportunities. In fields where AI augments rather than replaces workers, such as medicine, young professionals are seeing faster job growth. The study underscores both the risks and potential of AI’s disruptive force.
