Should AI decide your future career?

A student choosing a career today faces a new question: not “what do I want to do?” but “what won’t AI take from me?” It’s a tempting way to think, but it’s also the wrong one. This shift has created growing concern about job stability and how long roles will remain secure.

After the public launch of ChatGPT in November 2022, a working paper coauthored by Harvard Business School professor Suraj Srinivasan found that job postings for roles involving repetitive tasks decreased by 13%, while demand for jobs requiring analytical, technical and creative skills increased by 20%. A key question today is whether AI is working for us, with us or instead of us. Instead of focusing on the jobs AI can't replicate, we should focus on the characteristics and skills that they can’t achieve. Philosophers have long explored what it means to live a good life and make ethical decisions. These skills can never be replicated by AI because they rely on human judgment and reasoning. These are the skills students should aim to develop. Students should not choose their careers based on what AI cannot replace; instead, they should focus on developing judgment, critical thinking and ethical reasoning that AI fundamentally lacks.

The rapid growth and incorporation of AI in different fields has begun to create significant fear about job security, especially among young people entering the workforce. As AI continues to be developed, its capabilities to perform tasks that once required human workers will continue to grow. From customer service to writing emails, AI is beginning to take over many routine tasks or predictable responsibilities. This creates real concern because many jobs still rely on routine work. Previously, assistants were highly valuable, but AI chatbots can now perform many of those tasks. Many workers are now questioning the long-term security of their jobs. This uncertainty is especially concerning when it comes to students still choosing their career path. This raises the question of whether students should prioritize passion or focus on job stability when choosing a career. Recent research from Goldman Sachs suggests that as AI becomes more widely adopted, up to 6–7% of U.S. jobs could be displaced. The Goldman Sachs study suggests that AI taking over the job market is not just a distant possibility but an active force reshaping the labor market daily. As a result, students and employees alike are increasingly drawn to safe career paths, usually not defined by their own passion. Instead, they should focus on building the skills that ultimately make them human. Skills like developing judgment and critical thinking help individuals to interpret situations, make quick decisions and adapt to problems. Unlike AI, humans must weigh consequences and context when making decisions. AI can process information, but it cannot exercise judgment or take responsibility for decisions. It cannot understand consequences or make moral judgments in the way humans can. Additionally, humans incorporate emotion and moral reasoning when making decisions. This is why choosing a career based solely on trying to avoid AI is not only unrealistic, but also limiting.

Focusing on career paths that one hopes are safe from AI is a misguided approach. Some argue that choosing an “AI-proof” career is the most practical decision. Although it might seem like a smart idea to pursue a job that is less likely to be automated, thinking this way oversimplifies how AI will actually affect the workforce. AI doesn’t simply eliminate entire careers; instead, it changes how the work is done within them. Many professions that people might assume are “safe,” such as medicine, law or education, are already being reshaped by AI. For example, while AI can assist doctors with diagnosing illnesses, it cannot replace the ethical judgment humans are required to make in life-threatening moments. Similar changes are already happening in other fields. In law, AI is increasingly used to assist with research and document review, changing the role of junior attorneys and associates. In business, professionals use AI for data analysis and forecasting, shifting the focus toward interpretation and strategic decision-making. Even in education, AI is being used to generate content and assist with grading, changing how teachers interact with students rather than replacing them entirely. There is no guarantee of job security by attempting to avoid technology. As a result, trying to choose a career solely based on what one believes is safe from AI can limit their options and push them away from fields they may be passionate about. Rather than focusing on avoidance, students should prioritize adaptability and continue developing the kinds of skills that allow them to grow alongside new technology.

As AI continues to reshape the workforce, the way students think about careers must change with it. Although AI will continue to transform industries and automate tasks, it is not replacing human value, but rather reshaping it. Careers will not disappear, but rather evolve. This brings value to individuals who can adapt, think critically and make ethical decisions in situations where AI falls short. For this reason, choosing a career solely based on the limitations of AI is both limiting and temporary in its logic. Instead, students should focus on building the skills that remain relevant regardless of what happens with technology, allowing them not only to survive in an AI-driven world, but to actively shape it. The real risk is not that AI will replace us, but that we will limit ourselves by trying to avoid it. Students will be better prepared for the future not by avoiding AI, but by learning to work alongside it while strengthening the skills that make them human.