By Talker Staff. Edited by Irfan Ahmad
Fears of a “job apocalypse” are impacting future college grads. A new poll finds just 45% of college students feel optimistic about the job market after graduation.
The study, which was commissioned by Superhuman and conducted by Talker Research, polled 2,000 U.S. higher education students on their post-graduation job outlook.
The thought that AI will replace human labor has 69% worried about finding a job once they graduate.
But the threat of the “job apocalypse” has many students adjusting to the changing market. These job market concerns have 34% saying they are pursuing higher education degrees to avoid this threat. Specifically, 12% have adjusted their career path and 22% have changed their major or concentration.
Outside of class, 91% said they’re working to upskill themselves. And 43% said they’re using AI to learn new skills as well.
While the rise of AI has led to a compounding fear of replacing human labor, the survey also dug into how students are still working to understand AI to benefit their career.
More than half of (58%) students said learning about AI while in higher education is essential for their career. Furthermore, 48% said learning how to use AI properly (meaning ethically and responsibly) is the most important skill they’ll gain in college.
Jenny Maxwell, head of education at Superhuman, commented on these findings, “AI is having a massive impact on the world, and we know it can be scary for college students who are trying to set themselves up for success in an ever-changing job market.”
“But it’s clear that students understand that learning how to use AI effectively is actually the strongest defense against a potential ‘job apocalypse.’ We believe that it’s not AI that will take most jobs, but someone who uses AI to do their best and most productive work over someone who doesn’t.”
“The survey shows that most students recognize the importance of AI as a tool to empower them, not replace or offload the human skills that are so fundamental to higher education. As we start the new school year, educational institutions should consider how to arm students with the right tools and training to prepare them for the future while staying true to their belief in the importance of balancing AI literacy and critical thinking.”
The poll asked students what kinds of AI tools they would find helpful. Tools that provide spelling and grammar support were the most popular (54%), followed by tools that set reminders about deadlines for projects and assignments (40%).
With these kinds of tools in mind, this potential loss of critical thinking skills still has students vigilant. More than two in three (69%) agree it’s important to have a balance between using AI and honing critical thinking skills. And 81% think we’re at risk of losing critical thinking skills from an over-reliance on AI.
Read next: Layoffs tied to AI hurt worker productivity – and the reason may surprise manager
Fears of a “job apocalypse” are impacting future college grads. A new poll finds just 45% of college students feel optimistic about the job market after graduation.
The study, which was commissioned by Superhuman and conducted by Talker Research, polled 2,000 U.S. higher education students on their post-graduation job outlook.
The thought that AI will replace human labor has 69% worried about finding a job once they graduate.
But the threat of the “job apocalypse” has many students adjusting to the changing market. These job market concerns have 34% saying they are pursuing higher education degrees to avoid this threat. Specifically, 12% have adjusted their career path and 22% have changed their major or concentration.
Outside of class, 91% said they’re working to upskill themselves. And 43% said they’re using AI to learn new skills as well.
While the rise of AI has led to a compounding fear of replacing human labor, the survey also dug into how students are still working to understand AI to benefit their career.
More than half of (58%) students said learning about AI while in higher education is essential for their career. Furthermore, 48% said learning how to use AI properly (meaning ethically and responsibly) is the most important skill they’ll gain in college.
Jenny Maxwell, head of education at Superhuman, commented on these findings, “AI is having a massive impact on the world, and we know it can be scary for college students who are trying to set themselves up for success in an ever-changing job market.”
“But it’s clear that students understand that learning how to use AI effectively is actually the strongest defense against a potential ‘job apocalypse.’ We believe that it’s not AI that will take most jobs, but someone who uses AI to do their best and most productive work over someone who doesn’t.”
“The survey shows that most students recognize the importance of AI as a tool to empower them, not replace or offload the human skills that are so fundamental to higher education. As we start the new school year, educational institutions should consider how to arm students with the right tools and training to prepare them for the future while staying true to their belief in the importance of balancing AI literacy and critical thinking.”
The poll asked students what kinds of AI tools they would find helpful. Tools that provide spelling and grammar support were the most popular (54%), followed by tools that set reminders about deadlines for projects and assignments (40%).
With these kinds of tools in mind, this potential loss of critical thinking skills still has students vigilant. More than two in three (69%) agree it’s important to have a balance between using AI and honing critical thinking skills. And 81% think we’re at risk of losing critical thinking skills from an over-reliance on AI.
Read next: Layoffs tied to AI hurt worker productivity – and the reason may surprise manager
