Jobs that form the first stepping stones for fresh graduates’ and young professionals’ careers may be at risk of extinction — and naturally, AI could be to blame. According to The New York Times, advancements in technology may just mean that jobs previously reserved for entry-level positions will soon be snatched up by AI agents — and the gears are already turning. So, where does that leave the new generation of aspiring professionals?

The disappearance of entry-level jobs as we know them today could pose a danger to basic industry knowledge. NYT cites the tech industry to back up its claims, noting that simple code-writing and debugging tasks — ones normally performed by junior developers to gain experience — are now handed over to AI agents. Similarly, up to 44% of Law firms’ legal work could be automated — document reviews that would take junior associates weeks can be finalized by AI in hours. While this is an undeniable win for productivity, it effectively means that juniors are likely missing out on major learning milestones.

Linkedin’s 2025 Work Change Report states that up to 70% of most skills used in jobs today are set to change by 2030. While the acquisition of new skills is in no way bad news, the transition towards the “new and improved” roles these new skills would require is not necessarily a smooth one.

It’s not all bad news, though. 63% of US executives believe AI will eventually take on the tasks delegated to entry-level employees, but 63% also believe that “entry-level employees bring fresh ideas and new thinking that is valuable to the growth of their organization,” according to a recent LinkedIn survey, meaning that the human touch may not be nixed altogether. Earlier in January, EnterpriseAM reported that a significant global shift in task distribution between humans and machines is to be expected by 2030 — currently 47% of tasks performed are handled by humans, opposed to 22% handled by technology, and 30% handled by both in collaboration.

By 2030, these numbers are expected to even out, with each category accounting for one third of the total tasks performed, according to a report (pdf) by the World Economic Forum.

The numbers may be a little different in Om El Donia. The report claims that 45% of tasks in Egypt will be carried out by AI. This naturally calls for a need to aid employees in upskilling and reskilling for that change… But only 65% of Egyptian organizations surveyed expressed willingness to invest in their current workforce’s skills to prepare them to work alongside AI, despite 48% of on-the-job skills of the Egyptian workforce being projected to change by 2030, the report notes.

For entry-level jobs to survive, they need a major overhaul. Skills that will be non-negotiables within a half-decade from now need to be taught and prioritized. For future generations, integrating AI into curricula — a move already embraced by many countries — is pivotal to the future of employment. A new, redesigned framework for entry-level tasks as the world propels itself forward will no longer mean basic, mundane tasks delegated by seniors, but rather a deep understanding of the machines that would be in charge of them.

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