Artificial Intelligence and Job Automation: Challenges for Secondary Students’ Career Development and Life Planning

Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies with human-level cognitive abilities are increasingly integrated into workplaces, posing risks of job displacement and redundancy. Understanding AI’s impact on job automation is thus essential, as it helps students understand which occupational roles are likely to be automated. However, there is a lack of coherent understanding of this topic due to the diverse research methodologies deployed, leading to the formation of fragmented and inconsistent insights. This article reviews career literature and global reports from expert sources (e.g., the World Economic Forum) to provide an overview of AI’s influence on job sectors and the skills students need to thrive in a technologically disrupted workplace. The findings emphasize the importance of developing human-centric skills.