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Two years ago, Josephine Timperman embarked on her college journey with a clear plan in mind. She chose to major in business analytics, believing that acquiring specialized skills would make her stand out in the job market and secure a promising position after graduation.
However, the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence has upended her original expectations. The foundational skills she was honing, such as statistical analysis and coding, are increasingly being automated. “Everyone worries that entry-level jobs will be overtaken by AI,” noted the 20-year-old student from Miami University in Ohio.
In response to these changes, Timperman recently decided to pivot her academic focus from business analytics to marketing. Her revised approach aims to develop critical thinking and interpersonal skills—areas where human capabilities still surpass those of machines.
“It’s not just about coding,” Timperman explained. “You need to be able to engage in conversations, build relationships, and think critically. Ultimately, those are the aspects that AI can’t replicate.” Despite the shift, she plans to keep analytics as a minor and intends to pursue a more in-depth exploration of the field through a one-year master’s program.
For today’s college students, selecting a major that promises to be “AI-proof” seems like aiming at a constantly shifting target. They are preparing for a job market that may look vastly different by the time they graduate, making adaptability and a diverse skill set more crucial than ever.
As a result, many are reconsidering their career paths. About 70% of college students see AI as a threat to their job prospects, according to a 2025 poll by the Institute of Politics at the Harvard Kennedy School, while recent Gallup polling finds U.S. workers are increasingly concerned about being replaced by new technologies.
Students seeking majors that teach ‘human’ skills
The uncertainty appears most concentrated among those pursuing degrees in technology and vocational areas of study, where students feel a need to develop expertise in AI but also fear being replaced by it. A recent Quinnipiac poll found the vast majority of Americans believe it’s “very” or “somewhat” important for college and university students to be taught how to use AI, as Gallup Workforce polling finds AI is getting adopted in technology-related fields at higher rates. Meanwhile, students studying health care and natural sciences may be less impacted by AI overhauls, Gallup found.
“We see students all the time change majors. That’s not new or different. But it’s usually for a ton of different reasons,” said Courtney Brown, a vice president at Lumina, an education nonprofit focused on increasing the number of students who seek education beyond high school. “The fact that so many students say it’s because of AI — that is startling.”
A recent Gallup poll of Generation Z youth and adults, between the ages of 14 and 29, found increasing skepticism and concerns about AI. Although half of Gen Z adults use AI at least “weekly,” and teenagers report higher use, many in this generation see drawbacks to the technology and worry about AI’s impact on their cognitive abilities and job prospects. About half — 48% — of Gen Z workers say the risks of AI in the workforce outweigh the possible benefits.
Part of the challenge for college students is that the experts they would typically turn to for advice, like advisers, professors and parents, don’t have any answers. “Students are having to navigate this on their own, without a GPS,” says Brown.
That uncertainty was evident last month at Stanford University, where the leaders of several prominent universities gathered for a wide-ranging panel discussion on the future of higher education. Topics of concern included the AI revolution that is transforming how students learn and forcing educators to rethink pedagogy.
“We need to think really hard about what students need to learn to be successful in the job market in 10, 20, 30 years,” said Brown University President Christina Paxson.
“And none of us know. We don’t know the answer to that,” Paxson said. “I think it’s communication, it’s critical thought. The fundamentals of a liberal education are probably more important than learning how to code in Java right now.”
Anxiety also reaches computer science majors
Computer science major Ben Aybar, 22, graduated last spring from the University of Chicago and applied for about 50 jobs, mostly in software engineering, without getting a single interview. He pivoted to a master’s degree in computer science and meanwhile has found part-time work doing AI consulting for companies.
“People who know how to use AI will be very valuable,” said Aybar, who sees new jobs emerging that require AI skills, particularly for people who can explain the complexities in layman’s terms. “Being able to talk to people and interact with people in a very human way I think is more valuable than ever.”
At the University of Virginia, data science major Ava Lawless is wondering if her major is worthwhile but can’t get concrete answers. Some advisers feel that data scientists will be safe because they’re the ones building AI models, but she keeps seeing gloomy job reports that indicate the contrary.
“It makes me feel a bit hopeless for the future,” Lawless said. “What if by the time I graduate there’s not even a job market for this anymore?”
She is considering switching to studio art, which is her minor.
“I’m at a point where I’m thinking if I can’t get a job being a data scientist, I might as well pursue art,” she said. “Because if I’m going to be unemployed, I might as well do something I love.”
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