AI Won’t Take Your Job, But a Peer Using AI Might

The line ‘AI won’t take your job, but someone who knows how to use it might’ has become a familiar mantra on campuses and in workplaces, but it originated with economist Richard Baldwin. Speaking at the World Economic Forum’s 2023 Growth Summit, Baldwin argued that workers who know how to use AI may have an advantage over those who do not.

Three years later, AI is increasingly influencing how people work, from automating routine tasks to changing the skills employers value. For students and recent graduates preparing to enter the workforce, this raises a more immediate question: which tasks and entry-level roles are changing first, and what skills will help them adapt?

How AI Is Changing Entry-Level Jobs?

Imagine you are a fresh graduate applying for a software development role. You can use AI to generate basic code, but can you identify errors, adapt the code to a specific problem, and explain why your solution works? These are the skills employers increasingly need alongside technical knowledge.

A Stanford study of US payroll data found a 16% relative decline in employment among workers aged 22 to 25 in occupations highly exposed to generative AI. The decline was concentrated in roles where AI automates tasks, including software development, customer service, and data analysis.

Junior employees often begin with routine tasks that AI can now perform, such as fixing simple bugs, drafting standard replies, and organising data. Experienced workers may be less exposed because they also rely on practical judgement, problem-solving, and knowledge gained on the job.

For graduates, the practical response is to learn to use AI tools while strengthening critical thinking, communication, and sound judgement. Build projects, seek internships, and practice checking AI-generated outputs. These steps can help you demonstrate that you can do more than simply prompt a tool.

Using AI at Work Without Losing Trust

Imagine using AI to prepare a client report, only to discover that it contains incorrect figures. Or submitting an AI-generated draft without telling your manager how it was produced. In both cases, the issue is not simply using AI, but failing to check its output or be transparent about its role.

A global study by the University of Melbourne and KPMG, surveying more than 48,000 people across 47 countries, highlights these risks. Among employees, 66% rely on AI output without checking its accuracy, 56% report making mistakes because of AI, and 57% admit to presenting AI-assisted work as their own. Only 40% say their workplace provides AI policies or guidance.

For graduates entering the workforce, five habits can help build trust while making effective use of AI.

1. Check the rules. Find out which tools your employer approves and whether you can share work-related information with them. Never upload confidential client details or company data to an unapproved tool.

2. Be transparent. Explain how you used AI when disclosure is required. Whether it helped draft an email, summarise a report, or suggest code, be clear about its contribution.

3. Use AI to build your skills. Ask it to explain unfamiliar concepts, help you prepare for meetings, or review your own work. Avoid relying on it so heavily that you cannot perform or explain the task yourself.

4. Verify the output. Check facts, names, figures, calculations, and references before sharing AI-assisted work with colleagues or clients.

5. Take responsibility. You are accountable for the work you submit. Make sure you understand its content and can justify your recommendations without relying on AI to explain them for you.

AI can make work faster, but professional trust depends on judgement, transparency, and accountability.

The Human Skills AI Cannot Replace Easily

Knowing how to use AI may help you get noticed by employers, but knowing when to question its answers, solve unfamiliar problems, and communicate your ideas can set you apart. According to the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025, employers expect 39% of workers’ core skills to change by 2030. Yet analytical thinking remains the top core skill, cited by seven in ten employers, followed by resilience, flexibility and agility (67%), leadership and social influence (61%), and creative thinking (57%).

These skills help workers use AI without relying on it blindly. Analytical thinking helps you assess whether an AI-generated answer is accurate. Communication helps you turn information into clear recommendations, while creativity and adaptability help you respond to unfamiliar problems. AI can generate content quickly, but people remain responsible for how they evaluate and use it.

For graduates, the goal is to combine AI proficiency with these human skills. Practice explaining your reasoning, solving problems independently, collaborating with others, and checking AI-generated information. These abilities can help you stand out in a job market where knowing how to use AI is only part of the equation. 

What Sets You Apart from Other Graduates?

The graduate who stands out may not be the most naturally gifted, but the one who learns to use AI effectively, checks its output, and can explain their decisions. Employers need people who can turn AI-generated results into reliable, practical solutions. You can build these skills, too, by practicing with AI tools, questioning their answers, and learning to solve problems independently.

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