AI automation slashes 25 percent of entry-level tech jobs; half of junior roles at risk

Layoffs at firms such as Amazon and Microsoft have sharply focused on artificial intelligence as a catalyst for workforce reduction. Executives admit that automation will trim head counts in coming years, leaving many employees unsure whether experience offers better protection.

Some predict that entry-level staff will be first to go because their routine duties automate easily; Anthropic’s chief executive even warned that half of all junior white-collar roles could disappear within five years. Others argue that older, well-paid employees who rely on long-established workflows are more exposed, especially if they fail to adapt.

Early field data points toward pressure on newcomers. ADP payroll figures show employment for workers with less than two years’ tenure in computing roles fell about a quarter after peaking in 2023. Customer service jobs follow the same pattern. A temporary ChatGPT ban in Italy produced similar data: junior coders finished tasks slightly faster. However, mid-level developers used the tool to oversee peers and work across unfamiliar languages, raising their overall value.

The threat to seasoned professionals is real, however. AI systems can now draft legal briefs and write production code, eroding the premium once attached to deep domain expertise. Law firms that deploy generative models report using roughly half as many contract attorneys and major tech companies continue to cut experienced managers and engineers while betting heavily on automation.

As companies hire mostly junior workers boosted by AI and a handful of senior overseers, mid-level roles could disappear. That shift would shrink tax revenues and put more strain on unemployment benefits and other support programs. Lawmakers are already looking at ways to retrain displaced staff and make sure everyone shares in AI’s productivity gains.