Less than half of American college students are positive about the job market amid the rise of AI

With the rise of AI and concerns about the “job apocalypse,” less than half of American college students feel positive about the job market.A new survey of 2,000 U.S.students pursuing higher education revealed that just 45% of students surveyed are optimistic about the job market they’ll enter post-graduation.And seven in 10 (69%) are worried about finding a job after graduation, specifically due to AI being used to replace human labor in some sectors.To address this concern and avoid the threat of the “job apocalypse,” many respondents are taking action and changing their future plans.Commissioned by Superhuman and conducted by Talker Research, the survey revealed that 34% of students are pursuing higher education degrees specifically to avoid this calamity.Others have adjusted their career path (12%) or even changed their major or concentration (22%) due to job market concerns.The survey also revealed that 91% are working to upskill themselves outside of their college courses — and 43% are using AI to learn new skills.The survey dug further into this dichotomy, examining how, despite concerns about AI’s impact on the job market, students are still working to learn about and use AI to their benefit.Fifty-eight percent of respondents said learning about AI while in college is essential for their career, and almost half (48%) believe learning how to use AI properly — including ethically and responsibly — is the most important skill they’ll gain in college.“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,” said Jenny Maxwell, head of education at Superhuman.

“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 p...