It’s time to address the looming crisis in entry-level work.

AI is quietly eroding entry-level job opportunities, particularly in AI-exposed occupations like software development and customer service. A Stanford Digital Economy Lab study found a 16% relative employment decline among workers aged 22–25 in the most AI-exposed roles post-generative AI. Recent college graduate unemployment hit 5.6% and underemployment 42.5% in late 2025. The piece argues that firms are using AI to replace junior tasks that traditionally served as career training grounds. Recommendations include embedding AI literacy into university curricula, government subsidies for early-career hiring in AI-augmented roles, and firms recognizing entry-level hiring as a long-term investment rather than a short-term cost. The most valuable workers will combine domain expertise with AI fluency, not one or the other.