Future Focus | The AI Hiring Crisis: Why Young Workers Are Losing Jobs and What Schools Must Do Now | Week of August 25, 2025

This episode explores the evolving impact of AI on the job market, especially its disproportionate effects on younger workers and recent graduates. Dr. Sabba Quidwai and Stefan analyze the recent paper "Canaries in the Coal Mine", revealing how automation and augmentation are reshaping employment trends and urging educational leaders to rethink how students are being prepared for an AI-driven future.

Timestamps

[00:02:00] Rethinking the AI and Jobs Debate

• Sabba challenges the binary narrative of “AI taking jobs” and advocates for a more nuanced view focused on redesigning existing roles and preparing for emerging ones.

[00:05:00] Key Takeaways from ‘Canaries in the Coal Mine’

• Discussion of six major findings from the Stanford/Hi-Pact paper, highlighting declines in employment for young workers in AI-exposed jobs like coding and entry-level marketing.

[00:10:00] Disconnect Between Education and Workforce Needs

• Reflection on how high schools and colleges must pivot from traditional learning models to design thinking and durable skills to help students remain relevant.

[00:26:00] How to Be ‘AI Capable’ at Work

• Breakdown of Zapier’s model distinguishing AI-capable, adaptive, and transformative roles—with implications for what employers now expect from applicants.

[00:32:00] Notebook LM and Smarter Learning Workflows

• Introduction to Google's Notebook LM as a transformative educational tool, enabling students to better engage with readings and improve learning outcomes using AI.

Resources Mentioned

• 📄 Paper: Canaries in the Coal Mine: Six Facts About Recent Employment Effects of AI by Erik Brynjolfsson and colleagues
• 🗓️ Stanford Seminar (Sept 29): In-depth discussion of the Canaries in the Coal Mine findings

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