This past week, Wisconsin GOP Gubernatorial Candidate and current U.S. Congressman Tom Tiffany made a comment surrounding college graduates and AI stating, “Find a job that AI can’t replace.”
The comment, first reported by TMZ, came when Tiffany was asked for a message to college graduates and their job opportunities after college in the new age of evolving AI. Tiffany added on, “There are gonna be a lot of jobs that are gonna be in high demand,” Tiffany said. “And make sure you know, going into college, what is going to be in demand.” (RELATED: Wisconsin Democratic Candidates Draw Scrutiny Over Ties to Brewery Owner Who Celebrated Trump Shooting)
AI has been used to draft documents, summarize reports, write code, answer customer questions, analyze data and reduce the need for some entry-level work. Pew Research Center found that 52% of U.S. workers are worried about the future impact of AI in the workplace, while 32% believe it will lead to fewer job opportunities for them over the long run.
Meta, the parent company to Facebook, reported that they were planning to lay off 10% of their workforce in May, totalling about 8,000 workers. They also eliminated 6,000 open roles they intended to fill, sowing the cuts that AI is starting to cause.
The larger objective isn’t that young adults should fear AI or avoid college. The International Monetary Fund published an article saying that in “advanced economies,” about 60 percent of jobs will be impacted by AI, positively or negatively. Another study estimated about 30% of hours worked in the U.S. economy could be automated by 2030. The report said that fields such as health care, STEM, skilled technical work and business service may grow or change in ways that reward workers who adapt. (RELATED: Marquette Poll Shows Broad Support for Failed Wisconsin Surplus Package)
This is the main point of Tiffany’s comment. Young adults should make conscious decisions about their future viewing AI as the tool, and not the enemy. The Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that health care and social assistance will be the fastest-growing job sector from 2024-2034, adding about 2 million jobs. Electricians are also projected to grow 9% over the same period, with about 81,000 jobs opening each year. These are professions that AI can not replace, but can be used as a tool to improve performance.
