The situation around the world
Currently, the impact of AI is uneven and sector dependent.
A 2025 report from US think tank Brookings Institution suggests that AI adoption has generally led to job creation and robust growth. Most importantly, AI has not led to widespread job losses.
At the same time, consulting firm McKinsey notes that many companies are experimenting with AI and redesigning the way they work, and some organizations are therefore looking for more technically skilled employees.
Crucially, AI affects each sector differently. So we may see fewer entry-level jobs in some sectors, but more in others, or growth in specialist roles.
For example, international researchers have noted that agriculture has been a slow adopter of AI. In contrast, colleagues and I have found that AI is being rapidly implemented in media and communications, and is already impacting jobs in the advertising and entertainment industries. Here we see that storyboard illustrators, copywriters and virtual effects artists, among others, are increasingly being replaced by AI.
Therefore, students should look carefully at the specific data on their chosen industry (or industries) to understand the current situation and predicted trends.
To do this, you can look to academic research on the impact of AI on industries around the world, as well as industry news portals and free industry newsletters.
Get ready while studying
Students can of course also build up their knowledge and skills about AI during their studies.
Specifically, students should try to move from ‘AI literacy’ to ‘AI fluency’. This means that we need to understand not only how AI works in an industry, but also how it can be used innovatively in different contexts.
If these elements are not already offered by your course, you can view online tutorials and specific courses offered by universities, Tafe or other providers.
Students who are already familiar with AI can continue to expand their knowledge and skills. These students can discover the latest research from the world’s leading publishers and stay up to date on other AI research news.
For students who aren’t really interested in AI, it’s still important to get to grips with the technology. In my research, I suggested being curious about three key things first: opportunities, concerns, and questions. These three elements can be especially useful in communicating developments in the sector: how AI is used, what problems it poses and what implications still need to be explored.
Free (online) courses, such as AI For Everyone and the Elements of AI, can help almost anyone become familiar with the technology.
Strengthen other skills
All students, regardless of how familiar they are with AI, can also focus on developing general competencies that can be applied to any industry. US researchers have identified six key ‘sustainable skills’ for the AI era:
- effective communication, to interact successfully with others
- good adaptability, to respond to changes in the workplace, industry and wider social changes
- strong emotional intelligence, to help everyone thrive in a workplace
- high-quality creativity, to work with AI in innovative ways
- healthy leadership, to help deal with the challenges AI creates
- robust critical thinking, to tackle AI-related problems
Look for opportunities to promote these skills inside and outside the classroom. This could include teamwork, joining a club or association, doing volunteer work or gaining paid work experience.
Don’t forget ethics
Finally, students should consider the ethical issues raised by this new technology. Research shows that AI is driving changes in ethics across industries and students need to know how to approach AI dilemmas.
For example, they need to feel confident answering questions about when to use AI and when not to, and whether the technology’s environmental impacts outweigh its benefits in different situations.
Students can do this through focused discussions with classmates, facilitated by teachers to solve the problems. They can also take special courses on AI ethics.
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