Artificial intelligence is creating jobs at companies that adopt the technology, but the benefits are increasingly flowing to experienced employees rather than entry-level workers, according to new research from academics at Stanford University and King’s College London.
The study found that companies using AI recorded a 6.7% increase in senior-level employment over five years, while junior employment declined by 3% during the same period. Although overall hiring rose, the share of junior employees in AI-adopting organisations fell by 1.9 percentage points, highlighting a significant shift in workforce composition.
Researchers Bharat Chandar of Stanford University and Bouke Klein Teeselink of King’s College London detailed the findings in a paper released on Monday.
Global workforce patterns reveal widening experience gap
According to the researchers, the trend was observed across multiple countries, including the UK, Brazil and Saudi Arabia, indicating that the workforce shift is not limited to a single market or industry.
The study examined a vast dataset comprising:
- 1.25 billion job postings
- 154 million employment records
- Data collected between January 2021 and March 2026
- Workforce trends across 41 countries
The researchers concluded that AI is affecting different levels of the workforce unevenly.
“AI is labour-saving for junior workers and labour-expanding for seniors in exposed occupations,” the authors wrote in the paper. They also noted that losses among junior workers appear more pronounced in wealthier and more digitally advanced economies.
Technology roles continue to expand
The findings challenge assumptions that AI adoption universally reduces employment.
Instead, the research suggests organisations are continuing to hire, particularly for more experienced positions and specialised technical roles. Employment in computer-related and mathematical occupations, which are among the professions most exposed to AI, increased by 0.8 percentage points at companies adopting the technology.
However, researchers observed a similar pattern within these roles, with growth concentrated among senior employees rather than junior talent.
Early-career workers face growing pressure
The latest study adds to mounting evidence that younger workers may face greater disruption from AI-driven workplace changes.
Last month, Chandar and colleagues at the Stanford Digital Economy Lab reported that employment among workers aged 22 to 25 in occupations highly exposed to AI was 19% below where it would have been had those roles grown in line with less-exposed occupations.
The findings come amid growing concerns among younger employees about the impact of AI on career opportunities and job security. According to a recent Pew Research Center report cited by the researchers, anxiety around AI-related job displacement is rising among young adults in the United States.
Questions emerge around future talent pipelines
The study raises broader questions for employers about workforce planning and talent development.
Many organisations are investing heavily in AI to improve productivity and efficiency, yet the research suggests the technology may also be reducing demand for traditional entry-level positions that have historically served as training grounds for future managers and specialists.
As AI becomes more embedded in day-to-day business operations, companies may need to consider how junior employees acquire experience and progress into senior roles if fewer opportunities exist at the start of their careers.
For now, the research suggests AI adoption is associated with employment growth overall, but the gains are increasingly concentrated among workers with greater experience and expertise, potentially reshaping career pathways across industries in the years ahead.