News/Future of Work
US colleges launch AI programs as job demand soars 323%
Colleges across the United States are rapidly integrating artificial intelligence training into their curricula as employers increasingly demand AI skills for positions outside the technology sector. This shift reflects a broader transformation in the job market, where AI literacy is becoming essential for roles in healthcare, hospitality, media, and other industries, prompting educational institutions to adapt their programs to meet evolving workforce demands. What you should know: The demand for AI skills in job postings has surged dramatically, with non-tech employers leading the charge. Online job postings mentioning generative AI as a desired skill grew 323% last year, reaching over...
read Jul 1, 2025BYU study reveals 4 key reasons why professionals avoid AI tools
Artificial intelligence tools have become ubiquitous in the workplace, yet a significant portion of professionals remain hesitant to embrace them. Understanding this resistance isn't just academic curiosity—it's essential business intelligence for organizations implementing AI strategies. Recent research from Brigham Young University, a private research university in Utah, reveals that AI avoidance often stems from thoughtful consideration rather than technophobia. Jacob Steffen, a professor of information systems at BYU's Marriott School of Business, and his research team surveyed hundreds of participants to understand why people actively choose not to use generative artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT, Claude, or Google's Bard. "When...
read Jul 1, 2025Can’t keep up? AI will eliminate jobs faster than workers can adapt, Amazon CEO warns
The Silicon Valley mantra echoes from every conference stage: "You won't lose your job to AI, but to someone who learns to use AI." While this reassuring narrative helps executives sleep soundly as HR departments scramble to deploy AI literacy programs, it fundamentally misses the seismic shift occurring across industries today. The real disruption isn't about individual workers becoming AI-proficient. Instead, entire job categories face obsolescence as artificial intelligence demonstrates exponentially improving capabilities in core business functions that once required human expertise. The exponential reality Today represents the least capable AI will ever be. Current models from major providers have...
read Jun 27, 2025PwC study finds AI driving shift from degrees to trade schools
A PwC report reveals declining demand for university degrees in AI-automatable roles like software engineering and customer service, potentially reshaping higher education. According to Andrew Reece, chief AI scientist at BetterUp, a career coaching platform, this trend could lead to lower college enrollments and the emergence of specialized AI trade schools that teach students how to leverage artificial intelligence in their chosen careers. What you should know: Traditional degree programs are losing relevance as AI transforms workforce requirements and makes certain university-acquired skills obsolete. Students are questioning the value of college as AI changes job market dynamics and makes academic...
read Jun 27, 2025PromptOps emerges as AI costs spiral out of control
As artificial intelligence models grow more sophisticated, they're also becoming more expensive to operate. The latest large language models (LLMs) can process vast amounts of information and deliver increasingly nuanced responses, but this enhanced capability comes with a hidden cost: dramatically higher computational expenses that can quickly spiral out of control. This challenge has sparked the emergence of "prompt ops," a new discipline focused on optimizing how businesses interact with AI systems to maximize efficiency and minimize costs. Unlike prompt engineering, which focuses on crafting effective AI queries, prompt ops treats AI interactions as an ongoing operational challenge requiring continuous...
read Jun 27, 2025Daily AI usage surges 233% as workers report 64% higher productivity
Artificial intelligence has quietly become as routine as checking email for millions of office workers worldwide. New research from Salesforce reveals that daily AI usage among desk workers has surged 233% since the beginning of 2024, with 60% of workers now incorporating AI tools into their regular workflow—a 50% increase since November alone. This isn't just about occasional experimentation with ChatGPT. Workers are systematically integrating AI into core business functions, from research and writing to strategic planning and creative problem-solving. The shift represents a fundamental change in how modern knowledge work gets done, with profound implications for productivity, job satisfaction,...
read Jun 26, 2025CareerBuilder and Monster lose their jobs to AI
CareerBuilder and Monster's joint venture has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in Delaware, citing artificial intelligence-driven hiring competition and a corporate hiring slowdown as key factors behind their failed merger. The Apollo Global Management-backed company reported just $2.2 million in cash and secured a $20 million emergency loan to fund asset sales over the coming weeks. What you should know: The bankruptcy represents a significant collapse in the traditional job recruitment industry, highlighting how AI tools have disrupted established players. CareerBuilder and Monster, once dominant forces in online job recruiting, couldn't compete against newer AI-powered hiring platforms that offer more...
read Jun 26, 2025Entrepreneurs earn $700K+ with AI businesses without ever showing their faces
A new generation of entrepreneurs is building six-figure businesses using AI tools while remaining completely anonymous, challenging traditional notions of personal branding and business building. This "faceless automation" model allows creators to generate substantial revenue streams through AI-generated content and digital products without ever appearing on camera or building a personal following. Key success stories: Two British entrepreneurs exemplify this emerging business model's potential. Gregory Cooke, a 27-year-old who previously ran a 42-employee digital agency, generated over $700,000 in revenue by May 2024 using a simple PDF created with ChatGPT and Canva, paired with automated sales funnels—all without showing his...
read Jun 25, 2025Humans will become CEOs of AI agent teams, Stanford expert predicts
AI agents are rapidly evolving from coding assistants to comprehensive business tools that will require human managers to oversee "fleets" or "swarms" of automated workers. Industry leaders like Erik Brynjolfsson of Stanford and Anthropic's Dario Amodei predict this shift will fundamentally change how we work, with humans serving as CEOs of AI agent teams rather than individual contributors. What you should know: The transition from single-purpose AI tools to multi-agent systems is happening faster than expected, starting with software development but quickly expanding across business functions. Coding remains the fastest-moving application, progressing from basic autocomplete to "vibe coding" where users...
read Jun 25, 2025Integrity analyst? AR creator? AI’s 15 new job categories that didn’t exist a minute ago
While headlines about artificial intelligence eliminating jobs dominate the news cycle, a different narrative is quietly emerging: AI is creating entirely new categories of work that didn't exist just a few years ago. From designing how AI systems interact with humans to curating virtual environments for entertainment and training, these emerging roles represent a fundamental shift in how businesses will operate. The transformation isn't just about replacing human workers with machines — it's about creating hybrid workflows where humans and AI systems collaborate in sophisticated ways. This collaboration requires new types of expertise, from professionals who can teach AI systems...
read Jun 25, 2025Even masseuses aren’t safe as AI leaders predict career reinvention, “micro-retirements” amid job automation
At the Forbes AI 50 event in San Francisco, industry leaders from companies like Anthropic, OpenAI, Harvey, and Figure AI discussed how humans will adapt to longer lifespans in an AI-dominated economy. The conversation reveals a growing tension between AI's promise to free humans for more meaningful work and its potential to eliminate jobs entirely, forcing a fundamental rethink of career planning and economic survival. What they're saying: Leaders envision AI creating opportunities for career reinvention and personal fulfillment rather than mass unemployment. "There's lifespan, there's health span, and then there's career span," explained Karen Lee, chief marketing officer of...
read Jun 24, 2025AI job applications flood LinkedIn with 11,000 per minute
AI-generated job applications are flooding the hiring process, with LinkedIn now processing 11,000 applications per minute—a 45% surge from last year. This "hiring slop" epidemic has created an escalating technological arms race between job seekers and employers, with both sides deploying increasingly sophisticated AI tools that are fundamentally breaking the traditional résumé-based hiring system. The scale of the problem: The flood of ChatGPT-crafted résumés has overwhelmed hiring managers across industries, creating unprecedented volume challenges. HR consultant Katie Tanner received over 1,200 applications for a single remote role, forcing her to remove the posting entirely and spend three months sorting through...
read Jun 24, 2025Augmented Retail: Walmart built internal AI platform serving 1.5M associates daily
Walmart has built Element, an internal AI foundry platform that now serves 1.5 million associates across its operations, handling 3 million daily queries from 900,000 weekly users. Rather than buying enterprise AI solutions, the retail giant created a manufacturing-style approach to AI development that treats applications like products rolling off an assembly line, fundamentally changing how large enterprises can deploy artificial intelligence at scale. What you should know: Element's foundry model eliminates traditional AI deployment cycles by standardizing the entire development process from conception to production. The platform is LLM-agnostic, allowing Walmart to select the most cost-effective model for each...
read Jun 24, 2025Persona blocks 75M deepfake attempts as AI hiring fraud targets US companies
San Francisco-based identity verification platform Persona has expanded its workforce screening capabilities to combat AI-powered hiring fraud, introducing new tools specifically designed to detect deepfakes and fake candidates during remote interviews. The enhanced solution addresses a growing crisis where foreign actors, including North Korean state-sponsored groups, use sophisticated AI tools to infiltrate American businesses through fraudulent job applications. The big picture: Remote work has created an unprecedented vulnerability in corporate hiring, with AI-generated fake candidates now capable of passing video interviews and fooling HR professionals into extending job offers. Persona blocked over 75 million AI-based face spoofing attempts across its...
read Jun 23, 2025Not taking the bait: LinkedIn’s AI writing tool flops as professionals fear reputation damage
LinkedIn CEO Ryan Roslansky revealed that the platform's AI-powered writing assistant for posts has proven less popular than expected, attributing the lukewarm reception to users' concerns about maintaining their professional reputation. The insight highlights how career-focused social platforms face unique challenges in AI adoption, as professionals prioritize authentic content over AI-generated efficiency when their reputation is at stake. What they're saying: Roslansky explained the tool's limited appeal during a Bloomberg interview, emphasizing the professional stakes involved. "We have an ability where you write a post on LinkedIn," Roslansky said. "We are not going to write it for you from scratch,...
read Jun 20, 2025Maryland partners with Google to offer free AI career certificates to students
The University System of Maryland has partnered with Google to provide free access to Google Career Certificates for students across the state system, including new AI training programs. The initiative aims to boost career readiness and give students a competitive edge in the job market, while positioning Maryland as a leader in emerging technologies under Governor Wes Moore's tech-forward economic vision. What students get: University System of Maryland students will receive free access to Google Career Certificates that typically cost $49 per month after a trial period. The certificates cover cybersecurity, data analytics, digital marketing and e-commerce, IT support, project...
read Jun 20, 2025Stanford study: Workers want AI for boring tasks, not complex work
A new Stanford University study reveals that professionals are willing to embrace AI agents in the workplace, but primarily for automating mundane, low-stakes tasks rather than more complex work. The research, which surveyed 1,500 professionals and AI experts, provides crucial insights into how human-AI collaboration might actually unfold in practice, challenging some of the more ambitious promises made by tech companies about AI agent capabilities. What you should know: The study created the AI Agent Worker Outlook & Readiness Knowledge Bank (WORKBank), showing workers want to retain significant control over their work even when AI could handle more tasks. Workers...
read Jun 20, 2025AI critics who downplay or ignore job displacement fears are stuck in 2023, argues top tech journalist
Vox tech journalist Kelsey Piper argues that academic critics are missing the point about AI's real-world impact by focusing too heavily on whether AI can "truly reason." While philosophers and linguists debate AI's cognitive limitations, the technology is already beginning to displace workers across industries, making theoretical questions about reasoning increasingly irrelevant to practical concerns about employment and economic disruption. What you should know: Recent academic papers claiming AI lacks genuine reasoning abilities are gaining widespread attention, but they may be distracting from more pressing concerns about AI's actual capabilities. A viral Apple paper argued AI models have "fundamental scaling...
read Jun 20, 202588% of companies plan to boost AI hiring through 2025 with employee productivity top priority
Artificial intelligence has moved from Silicon Valley buzzword to boardroom imperative, fundamentally reshaping how organizations approach everything from customer service to strategic planning. This technological shift is creating an unprecedented demand for AI talent across industries, as companies scramble to build internal capabilities that can harness these powerful tools effectively. Recent research from Foundry, a leading technology research firm, reveals the scope of this hiring surge. Their survey of senior IT professionals shows that 88% of organizations have already invested or plan to invest in AI capability-building tools, with 61% planning to increase their AI spending through 2025. Only 1%...
read Jun 20, 2025California’s “No Robo Bosses Act” would ban AI from making firing – but not hiring -decisions
California's Senate Bill 7, known as the "No Robo Bosses Act," would prohibit companies from primarily relying on AI systems to make critical employment decisions like firing, promoting, or disciplining workers. Introduced by Senator Jerry McNerney, a Democrat representing Stockton's 5th District, the legislation aims to ensure human oversight remains central to workplace management decisions as AI increasingly infiltrates HR processes. What you should know: The bill requires human review and corroborating evidence for any AI-driven employment decisions. Companies would be banned from using automated systems as the primary decision-maker for promotions, disciplinary actions, or terminations. If AI systems are...
read Jun 19, 2025Professional dog walking looking better as Harvard study finds AI threatens jobs in creative, white-collar sector
Harvard Business Review researchers have published a comprehensive analysis examining how current AI capabilities are poised to disrupt virtually every sector of the labor market, from creative industries to professional services. The study reveals that existing AI models—and the more advanced, cost-effective versions already in development—pose immediate threats to jobs across writing, design, finance, law, medicine, and academia by delivering comparable quality at dramatically reduced costs. What you should know: AI's disruptive potential extends far beyond theoretical scenarios, targeting both creative and analytical professions with current technology. Creative professionals including writers, designers, photographers, architects, animators, and brand advertisers face direct...
read Jun 19, 2025“Learn to code” is nonsense says risk analyst, as computer science grads face 6.1% unemployment
Risk analyst Ian Bremmer declared that "learn to code" has become worse career advice than "get a face tattoo," citing AI's rapid displacement of programming jobs during a recent appearance on "Real Time with Bill Maher." His stark assessment reflects a dramatic reversal in the tech job market, where recent computer science graduates now face higher unemployment rates than those who studied journalism, political science, and English. The unemployment reality: Recent data from the New York Federal Reserve reveals computer science and engineering majors are struggling more than expected in today's job market. Computer science majors face a 6.1% unemployment...
read Jun 18, 2025Minnesota State launches first robotics degree and AI master’s program
Minnesota State University has launched a bachelor's degree program in robotics engineering and a master's degree in artificial intelligence, both starting this fall with an expected enrollment of 25 students each. The robotics program represents the first and only robotics degree offered in Minnesota, while the AI master's program is the first graduate-level AI program in the Minnesota State system, positioning the university to address growing industry demand for specialized tech professionals. What you should know: These programs directly respond to workforce shortages in rapidly expanding technology sectors. The robotics engineering bachelor's degree is a four-year program designed to meet...
read Jun 18, 2025Embrace AI or else? Amazon CEO warns AI will reduce corporate workforce in coming years
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy has warned employees that artificial intelligence will reduce the company's corporate workforce over the next few years, urging staff to "embrace AI" or risk being left behind. The memo signals a major shift for one of the world's largest employers, which directly employs over 1.5 million people globally, as tech giants increasingly prioritize AI-driven efficiency over human labor. What you should know: Jassy explicitly told Amazon employees that AI adoption will lead to workforce reductions through efficiency gains. "We will need fewer people doing some of the jobs that are being done today, and more people...
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