Two years ago, Josephine Timperman arrived at college with a plan. She declared a major in business analytics, figuring she would learn niche skills that would help land a good job after college. But the rise of artificial intelligence has scrambled those calculations. The basic skills she was learning in things like statistical analysis and coding can now easily be automated.
"Everyone has a fear that entry-level jobs will be taken by AI," said the 20-year-old at Miami University in Ohio. A few weeks ago, Timperman switched her major to marketing. Her new strategy is to use her undergraduate studies to build critical thinking and interpersonal skills — areas where humans still have an edge.
"You don't just want to be able to code. You want to be able to have a conversation, form relationships and be able to think critically, because at the end of the day, that's the thing that AI can't replace," said Timperman, who is keeping analytics as a minor and plans to dive deeper into the subject for a one-year master's programme.
Today's college students say that picking a major that is "AI-proof" feels like shooting at a moving target as they prepare for a job market that could be fundamentally different by the time they graduate. As a result, many are reconsidering their careers. About 70% of college students see AI as a threat to their job prospects, according to a 2025 poll by Gallup that finds US workers are increasingly concerned about being replaced by technologies.
"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 non-profit focused on increasing the number of students who seek education beyond school. "The fact that so many students say it's because of AI — that is startling."
A recent Gallup poll of Gen Z youth and adults, between the ages of 14 and 29, found increasing scepticism 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 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.
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. "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 are 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."
