AI Reshapes the American Workplace
In the post-pandemic era, artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly permeating the U.S. workforce. According to a Gallup survey of nearly 20,000 employees, the share of American workers reporting that they use AI tools at least a few times a year has nearly doubled compared to 2023, reaching 40%. The proportion of employees who use AI regularly has also increased significantly.
While AI is spreading quickly across white-collar professions, the findings highlight that entry-level job opportunities, particularly for younger workers, may be declining. The effects of this transformation are not distributed equally across all employee groups. According to research by Stanford University economist Erik Brynjolfsson, since 2022, employment among 22-25-year-olds in occupations highly exposed to AI—such as software development, accounting, and customer service—has declined by 13%. During the same period, entry-level job postings have decreased by approximately 35%. Experts emphasize that these figures do not yet indicate a definitive or permanent loss of employment but signal a significant shift in the labor market.
While productivity gains are anticipated among workers, current research presents a different short-term picture. A study by Upwork reports that 77% of professionals feel that AI productivity tools complicate workflows, increasing workload and negatively affecting perceptions of efficiency. Experts note that this situation may particularly heighten anxiety and feelings of uncertainty among younger workers during the early stages of the transformation. They also emphasize that, in the long term, without appropriate policy measures and investments in skills, there is a risk of deepening income inequality.