Resumes are about to look significantly different, with qualities like “AI expertise” hitting the top of the list of bragging rights. The shift is most apparent with STEM learners. More AI embeds this field daily, changing job descriptions, productivity and priorities.
It’s a welcome advancement by many for efficiency and decision-making, while others acknowledge the ethical and privacy considerations holding it back from being the best it can be. How will young professionals navigate AI in STEM sectors as they job hunt and flourish in their careers?
Creation of New Jobs and Co-workers
The advent of any new technology requires experts, and AI is no different. Many existing positions need to be reimagined with an AI spin, such as engineers or cybersecurity specialists. Designing and developing automation-powered robotics and software requires authorities to expand the market into never-before-seen heights. Examples include:
- Data trainer and operator
- AI linguist
- Content curator
- AI quality and compliance auditor
- Data scientist
- Prompt writer
- Integration expert
AI will create many new jobs, but the positions also serve as training grounds for young STEM professionals. They’re the sector’s guinea pigs, becoming proficient in AI as it develops alongside their career. Adaptability is key and is one of AI’s most notable impacts on STEM jobs. The novel job titles come alongside more responsibilities than learning to use AI — young STEM learners must know how to work alongside automated counterparts.
An estimated 44% of young STEM workers fear job loss due to automation, but a likely outcome of bringing AI into the workplace is navigating new workflows. It will be more of a co-worker than a human replacement.
Additionally, how can young STEM staff balance original work while challenging themselves with the convenience of automated tools? Job prospects will be full of new positions and colleagues because of AI.
Overreliance Leading to Oversights
A Gen Zer may rely on AI to help dock up a resume or produce code for their first critical project in a career-track role. Both situations have room for error because of AI’s ethical and privacy concerns, which digital natives may understate because the technology feels universal.
However, the impact of AI on job prospects for young adults includes a constant battle of being the most willing to grow with AI while experiencing data anxiety. Seventy-two percent of Gen Zers stress over it using their personal data without consent, but they’re also the most likely demographic to be willing to learn how to use it for good.
Heightened Productivity and Demand
AI has the power to boost learning potential at university, translating amplified skills into STEM workers’ first roles. The technology teaches students to discover what they can delegate and automate. Then, they can determine how to dedicate their time to more high-value tasks. This could do everything from expediting time-consuming research to having the first draft of a program’s code ready months in advance.
Young generations with these skills in their pockets will be a gold mine for corporate success. Job prospects will be more likely to fall into laps because managers know workers Gen Z and younger understand the ins and outs of leveraging AI for faster results.
Every industry is experiencing increased demand — consider enterprises like e-commerce and social media. Management teams need more work accomplished faster than ever. Who’s more likely to meet those demand expectations than young STEM professionals fluent in AI’s productivity boons?
Lack of Transparency Due to Bias
What bias and transparency concerns exist when using AI in the workplace? These areas strive to become more intersectional and accepting, and AI may combat efforts unintentionally. Around 70% of working people are currently looking for better opportunities. So, corporations need to hold onto the young talent they have by maintaining an equitable working environment.
AI has often failed because of discriminatory decisions in courtrooms and housing applications. People get convicted or rejected for a housing application unfairly because an AI misjudged someone due to poor data quality. New AI developers and engineers must shoulder the burden of fixing these problems. AI training is a delicate art, but upcoming generations of STEM professionals will be the individuals who eliminate prejudice in supervised training programs.
Experts strive to develop new systems to weed out these harmful data points. Innovations like explainable AI and modern data governance seek to identify the source of toxic determinations from AI. Young workforces must be proactive or suffer from regressive workplaces that adopt unsustainable and judgmental practices.
The AI-Powered Career Track
AI’s impact on STEM careers for younger generations is monumental in positive and negative ways. Gen Z and millennial contributions will expand the world’s knowledge about it while navigating complex hurdles. The curiosity and engagement of young professionals will be essential for unlocking the best ways to use automation in modern society. Despite privacy and bias concerns, or fears of technology taking over salaries, upcoming generations will be the ones who instruct the world on responsible AI integrations and use.
