In my strategy class this spring, a student leaned back during a discussion about automation and quipped, “Well, we aren’t going to get a job anyway because of AI, so who cares?” Laughter rippled across the room. It was quick, light—even comforting. But beneath the jokes lay a tense reality. This feeling is the elephant in the room for many young people: they sense the job market evolving under AI’s influence, and they’re not sure where they’ll fit.
When I asked several students if they ever talk seriously about AI replacing jobs, one replied, “Not really. If you think about it too much, it feels hopeless.” Another said, “We just figure something else will come along. Or maybe we’ll figure out how to work with it.” Humor has become a coping tool—a way to acknowledge the threat without dwelling on it.
