IBM has reportedly announced that it will triple the entry-level hiring in the US in 2026, even as artificial intelligence raises concerns about the future of early-career jobs. According to a report by Bloomberg, the IBM chief human resources officer Nickel LaMoreaux said that the expansion will cut across departments. Speaking at the Charter’s Leading with AI Summit in New York, LaMoreaux said, “And yes, it’s for all these jobs that we’re being told AI can do,” underscoring the company’s commitment to investing in human talent despite the increasing automation pressures. LaMoreaux further explained that IBM has revamped the job descriptions for junior positions such as software developers. Since AI tools can now handle the routine coding tasks, entry-level developers spend less time in writing code and more time working directly with customers. In HR, the junior staffers are tasked with intervening when chatbots fall short and correcting outputs and engaging with managers rather hand handling every inquiry themselves. “The entry-level jobs that you had two to three years ago, AI can do most of them,” LaMoreaux said. “So, if you’re going to convince your business leaders that you need to make this investment, then you need to be able to show the real value these individuals can bring now.”

Anxiety in the industry over AI and jobs

The announcement made by IBM comes at a time when fears of job cuts are lingering on the industry. The industry fear that AI could wipe out opportunities for the new graduates. Last year, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei also warned that half of entry-level jobs may vanish by 2030. Advances in generative AI have already stoked anxiety among college students facing a tough job market.Some companies have cut back on early-career recruitment to save costs, but LaMoreaux cautioned that this could backfire. Without a pipeline of junior hires, firms risk a shortage of mid-level managers in the future, forcing them to poach talent from competitors — a more expensive and slower process.Melanie Rosenwasser, Chief People Officer at Dropbox also believe that younger workers are uniquely positioned to thrive in the AI era. “It’s like they’re biking in the Tour de France and the rest of us still have training wheels.”