AI makes it harder for young people to land their first job
Artificial intelligence is eliminating many of the tasks that once helped young people start their careers, raising concerns about how future workers will gain experience as employers seek more seasoned talent.
Marketer and entrepreneur Hando Sinisalu said some jobs will disappear as AI takes over certain tasks, but new jobs will also emerge. He noted that the nature of work is already changing in fields such as marketing.
"Simple tasks, such as creating basic texts and visuals and automating certain marketing activities, are areas where AI is already doing the work today," he said. Sinisalu added that some people have undoubtedly already lost their jobs as a result.
Many young people are currently studying marketing and advertising at universities. Sinisalu said life could become more challenging for them. Under the traditional model, a young person moves from school into an entry-level job or internship, starts with simple tasks, and gradually advances their career. Sinisalu said those simpler tasks are often more efficiently handled by AI, which may leave young people without the initial experience they need.
Young people's first experience in question
"At the same time, young people have an advantage because they learn faster," Sinisalu said.
He explained that today's middle school graduates, who will enter the labor market several years from now, have grown up with AI and have been using it since childhood. The question, however, is what kind of first work experience young people will need in the future.
Sinisalu said the marketing sector increasingly needs skilled editors who can assess AI-generated text or images and improve them. The same applies to visual content.
"We are currently seeing a huge wave of AI-generated visuals, and a large share of them are bad, unattractive, and tasteless," he said.
Organizations now need editors or curators with good judgment and experience who can distinguish quality work, assign tasks to AI systems, and reject unsuitable results.
"That requires experience and good taste, and it requires people who are better, smarter, and more skilled than AI," he said.
AI-generated work can outperform human work
In the past, agencies and designers had to create large numbers of advertisements and other practical informational materials, and clients paid for that work. Today, AI can produce the same output quickly and cheaply, and the result may not be worse than human work. In some cases, it may even be better.
Ann Hiiemaa, a partner at communications consultancy Meta Advisory, said AI has increased the value of experienced communications professionals in the public relations sector. At the same time, she noted that people whose work has focused primarily on content creation are more easily replaced.
"This means that those who can put a company's business, target audiences, customers, and broader social changes into context and generate growth for companies as a result are worth far more than before," Hiiemaa said.
"But those whose work has mainly involved writing or producing average-quality content are likely facing a certain degree of pressure on their jobs," she added.
Distinguishing important information is critical
Content can include press releases, articles, memos, and analyses. Hiiemaa said the key is being able to synthesize important information from that content and place it in context.
Still, she believes communications will remain highly valued now and in the future because people's attention spans continue to shrink.
"That means packaging information in a way that people can understand and embrace remains extremely valuable," she said.
Hiiemaa said obtaining a first job may become more difficult for young people because many entry-level tasks can be replaced by AI.
"I think young people will also have new opportunities to create content, move away from long articles, and think more about the formats people actually consume," she added.
Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund CEO Gert Tiivas said AI will increasingly affect the work of everyone who performs office-based jobs. He added that people should prepare early rather than wait for a larger wave of AI-driven job displacement.
"The way to prepare is to start educating ourselves," he said.
Tiivas said the organization is also ready if a larger wave of layoffs occurs. He noted that AI will reshape multiple sectors and that people working in IT companies, telecommunications firms, banks, law offices, and the public sector should be considering its impact and preparing for the changes ahead.
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Editor: Argo Ideon
