Entry-level work transforms in the agentic AI era

Agentic AI explosion driven by $50B market opportunity ...

Artificial Intelligence

AI agents: four use cases for accountants

NewsBites 2025 Nov 24: 'AI isn't trying to be human'

Agentic AI: The AI moment, from intelligence to action

How Agentic AI Is Reshaping Entry-Level Jobs

This weekly update covers exciting changes happening in **education and learning** around the world as **AI agents** become more common in schools and colleges.

**What are AI Agents?**

An **AI agent** is like a smart helper on a computer that can do tasks by itself without someone telling it every single step[1]. Think of it like a student who can figure out how to do a project on their own. These **AI agents** can read information, make decisions, and do things to help people learn and work better[1]. Schools are now learning how to use these helpers in classrooms and colleges.

**Universities Testing New Ideas**

Colleges and universities are trying different ways to use **AI agents** to help students. At the **ASU+GSV Summit** in the **United States**, there was a special show about how **AI agents** could be used in higher education[3]. During this show, a company called Element451 showed schools how **AI agents** could help colleges do things better and faster. For example, **AI agents** could help colleges talk to many students at one time and give each student information that fits what they want to learn[3].

At Northern Arizona University (NAU) in the **United States**, teachers got money to study an important question: how do students learn best when they work with **AI**? This program is called TRAIL, which stands for Transforming through Artificial Intelligence in Learning[3]. Teachers at NAU are learning about AI and how to use it in their classes to help students learn better.

**Using AI to Help Students Think Better**

Some schools are already using new AI tools to help students become better thinkers. One private university in **Massachusetts** in the **United States** is now using an AI chatbot called Claude for Education[3]. This special chatbot doesn't just give students answers. Instead, it asks them questions to help them **think through problems step by step**. By asking good questions, Claude helps students **build critical thinking skills**. This means students learn to understand things more deeply instead of just memorizing facts.

**What Schools and Companies Want from New Workers**

Something very important is changing in how companies hire people who just finished school[1][7]. Companies like **Salesforce** say they don't just want workers who know lots of computer skills anymore[1]. Instead, they want workers who can think clearly, ask good questions, work well with **AI agents**, communicate their ideas clearly, and learn new things quickly[7]. These skills help workers understand how AI tools work and make sure they are doing the right thing.

This is interesting because students who studied subjects like **philosophy and art history** are getting jobs more easily than students who studied computer science[1]. Why? Because companies think these students are better at thinking critically and understanding difficult ideas. This shows that learning how to think well is becoming even more important than knowing lots of technical computer facts.

Schools are also changing how they teach young people. Instead of just telling students rules and facts to memorize, schools are teaching students to work on projects together and make decisions[1]. **Entry-level workers** now get important jobs early on, like managing **AI agents** and checking if the AI is doing the right thing[1]. This means graduates need to be curious, ask good questions, and be willing to keep learning new things.

**Government Making Plans for AI in Schools**

Governments around the world are paying attention to **AI** in schools and making plans[3]. In the **United States**, the state of **Tennessee** made a big plan about how to use **AI** to improve services[3]. Their plan focuses on four important areas: testing new ideas with AI, building the right computer systems, training workers about AI, and making rules about AI to keep everyone safe[3].

Other states are also taking action. **Illinois** and **West Virginia** are working on bills that would give more power to groups that make rules about AI[3]. The state of **Alaska** is thinking about making a special group of lawmakers whose job is to help the state understand and use AI safely[3].

Some universities are also getting money to work on AI education. One university got **five million dollars** from its state to start a whole new **academic department about AI**[3]. This new department will teach students about AI at different levels, from new students who are just starting to advanced students doing important research.

**Teaching All Students About AI**

Schools want to make sure every student knows about **AI**, not just students studying computers[3]. A group called **Digital Promise** made a guide for schools about how to teach AI literacy[3]. **AI literacy** means understanding what **AI** is, knowing how to use **AI** tools safely, and being able to decide if an **AI** tool is doing something right or wrong.

The guide suggests that schools should teach **AI** in a way that fits with what they are already teaching[3]. Schools don't need to throw out everything they're doing or start over. Instead, they can add **AI** lessons to the subjects students already study like math, science, history, and language arts.

**Real Examples of AI in Learning**

One teacher named **Tina Austin**, who is a biologist and teaches at universities, is using **AI agents** and other **AI** tools to work across different subjects and different universities[3]. She found that different **AI** tools are useful for different kinds of jobs and learning. This shows that **AI agents** are becoming real tools that real teachers use every day to help students learn better.

These changes show that **education and learning** are changing in exciting ways[1][3][7]. Schools are learning to use **AI agents** to help students think better, work together, and understand the world around them. At the same time, companies are hiring people who can think clearly and work well with **AI**. And governments are making sure that everyone gets a chance to learn about **AI** and use it safely and correctly.

Schools and colleges are discovering new ways to use **AI agents** in learning[1][3]. An **AI agent** is a smart computer program that can do tasks by itself, almost like having a helpful assistant that understands what you need[1][3].

Universities around the world are testing different ideas. The **ASU+GSV Summit** in the **United States** had a special show about using **AI agents in higher education**[3]. One company called Element451 showed how **AI agents** could help colleges do things faster and make learning more personal for each student[3]. At Northern Arizona University, teachers got money from a special program called TRAIL to study how students learn with AI[3].

Some schools are already using new AI tools to help students think better. One private university in **Massachusetts** started using Claude for Education, which is an AI chatbot that asks students questions to help them think through problems step by step[3].

Companies are also changing what they look for when they hire people who just finished school[1][7]. They used to want people who knew lots of computer stuff, but now they want people who can **think clearly, ask good questions, and work well with AI agents**[1][7]. Students who studied **philosophy and art history** are getting jobs more easily than students who studied computer science[1].

The **United States** government is paying attention to AI in schools. The state of **Tennessee** made a big plan about AI that focuses on testing new ideas, building computer systems, training workers, and making rules about AI[3]. States like **Illinois**, **West Virginia**, and **Alaska** are also creating groups to help schools understand AI safely[3].

Education & Learning Weekly AI News

Specific Topics