31% of Students, Workers Reconsider Industries Due to AI, With 39% of Unemployed Students Rethinking
Updated
Updated · CNBC · Sep 1
31% of Students, Workers Reconsider Industries Due to AI, With 39% of Unemployed Students Rethinking
2 articles · Updated · CNBC · Sep 1
Summary
31% of students and workers enrolled in school have changed or considered changing their target industry because of AI, according to a CNBC-SurveyMonkey survey of 1,686 people conducted July 22-27.
39% of students who are not employed said the same, reflecting broader anxiety that AI could weaken demand for new graduates before they enter the workforce.
45% have changed or reconsidered the skills they are developing, 34% the jobs they are applying for, and nearly 40% their major, field of study or coursework.
Labor and career experts said students are reacting to real uncertainty, but warned against abandoning fields too quickly and urged them to build transferable skills such as critical thinking and evaluating AI outputs.
An April Gallup-Lumina survey found similar concern, with 42% of bachelor's students and 56% of associate-degree students saying they had seriously considered changing majors because of AI.