Two years ago, Josephine Timmerman arrived at college with a plan. She declared a major in business analytics, thinking she would learn specialized skills that would stand out on her resume Help in getting a good job After college.
but The rise of artificial intelligence These accounts may be defended. The basic skills she was learning in things like statistical analysis and programming can now be easily automated. “Everyone has a fear that entry-level jobs will be taken over by artificial intelligence,” said the 20-year-old, who studies at Miami University in Ohio.
A few weeks ago, Timmerman switched her major to marketing. Her new strategy is to use her university studies to build critical thinking and interpersonal skills, areas in which humans still excel.
“You don’t just want to be able to code, you want to be able to have a conversation and form relationships and be able to think critically, because at the end of the day, that’s the thing that AI can’t replace,” said Timmerman, who keeps analytics as a minor and plans to delve deeper into the subject for his one-year master’s program.
Today’s college students say choosing an “AI-resistant” major feels like shooting at a moving target as they prepare for a job market that could be radically different by the time they graduate.
As a result, many are reconsidering their career paths. About 70% of college students see AI as a threat to their job prospects, according to a 2025 Foundation poll. Policy Institute At the Harvard Kennedy School, while it is recent Gallup poll results Workers in the United States are increasingly concerned about being replaced by new technologies.
The uncertainty appears to be most concentrated among those pursuing degrees in technology and professional fields of study, where students feel the need to develop expertise in AI but also fear they will be replaced by it. A Recent Quinnipiac poll found that the vast majority of Americans believe it is “very” or “somewhat” important for college and university students to learn how to use AI, and Gallup Workforce polls also found that AI has become Certified in technology-related fields at higher rates. Meanwhile, students studying health care and natural sciences may be less affected by AI reforms, Gallup found.
“We see students changing majors all the time. This isn’t new or different. But it’s usually for different reasons,” said Courtney Brown, vice president of Lumina, an educational nonprofit focused on increasing the number of students seeking education after high school. “The fact that so many students say it’s because of artificial intelligence is amazing.”
A Gallup’s latest poll of Generation Z Young people and adults, ages 14 to 29, have found increasing skepticism and concerns about artificial intelligence. Although half of Generation Z adults use AI at least “weekly,” and teens use it more, many in this generation see flaws in the technology and are concerned about the impact of AI on their cognitive abilities and job prospects. Nearly half — 48% — of Gen Z workers say the risks of AI in the workforce outweigh the potential benefits.
Part of the challenge facing college students is that the experts they typically turn to for advice, such as counselors, professors and parents, don’t have any answers. “Students have to navigate this on their own, without a GPS,” Brown says.
This uncertainty was evident last month at Stanford University, where leaders from several prominent universities gathered for a wide-ranging panel discussion about the future of higher education. Topics of concern included the transforming artificial intelligence revolution How students learn And force teachers to do so Rethinking pedagogy.
“We need to think carefully about what students need to learn to succeed in the workforce in 10, 20, or 30 years,” said Brown University President Christina Paxson.
“And none of us know. We don’t know the answer to that,” Paxson said. “I think it’s communication, it’s critical thought. “The basics of a liberal education are probably more important than learning how to program in Java right now.”
Ben Aybar, a 22-year-old computer science student, graduated last spring from the University of Chicago and applied for about 50 jobs, mostly in software engineering, without getting a single interview. He switched to a master’s degree in computer science and simultaneously found part-time work providing artificial intelligence consulting to companies.
“People who know how to use AI will be very valuable,” said Aybar, who expects new jobs will emerge that require AI skills, especially for people who can explain complexities in layman’s terms. “The ability to talk to people and interact with them in a very human way I think is more valuable than ever.”
At the University of Virginia, data science major Ava Lawless wonders if her major is worthwhile, but she can’t get definitive answers. Some consultants feel that data scientists will be safe because they are the ones building AI models, but they continue to see bleak job reports that suggest otherwise.
“It makes me feel a little hopeless for the future,” Lawless said. “What if by the time you graduate there isn’t a job market for this anymore?”
She is considering switching to studio art, which is her branch.
“I’m at the point where I’m thinking if I can’t get a job as a data scientist, I might be better off studying art,” she said. “Because if I’m going to be unemployed, I might as well do something I love.”
___
AP’s education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Search for access points Standards To work with charities, a existing From supporters and sponsored coverage areas at AP.org.