This weekly update shows that artificial intelligence is no longer a future concern - it's actively reshaping the job market right now, with significant implications for workers across multiple industries. The evidence comes from both employment statistics and real company decisions that are affecting thousands of employees.

The most alarming trend appears in unemployment data for college graduates. Their jobless rate hit 5.8% in March, marking the highest level in more than four years. This is particularly concerning because historically, workers with college degrees have much lower unemployment rates than the general population. JP Morgan economists note that this trend is "highly unusual by historical standards" and suggests that AI might already be targeting the knowledge worker jobs that require advanced education.

Specific industries are showing clear signs of AI-related employment slowdowns. Marketing consulting firms, graphic design companies, office administration roles, and telephone call centers have all experienced employment growth falling below expected levels. The technology sector has been hit especially hard, with sharp slowdowns in computer systems design, software publishing, and web search portal companies. This is ironic since these are the very industries that are creating AI tools.

A shocking example of AI resistance emerged this week when a company CEO revealed he had to lay off nearly 80% of his workforce within a year. The reason wasn't poor performance, but active employee resistance to AI adoption. Surprisingly, it was the technical staff - not marketing or sales teams - who were most resistant to the new technology. They focused on what AI couldn't do rather than embracing its possibilities.

This resistance reflects a broader pattern of employee pushback against AI implementation. Research shows that one in three workers have actively sabotaged their company's AI rollout, with this number jumping to 41% among millennial and Gen Z employees. This sabotage takes many forms: refusing to use AI tools, intentionally producing low-quality work with AI systems, or completely avoiding AI training sessions. Many workers act this way because they fear AI will replace their jobs, while others are frustrated with poorly implemented AI tools.

Expert opinions on AI's job impact vary dramatically. Goldman Sachs economists offer a relatively optimistic view, predicting that only 6-7% of the US workforce could be displaced if AI becomes widely adopted. They expect these disruptions to be temporary, similar to previous technological revolutions where new jobs eventually replaced displaced ones. Their research suggests that generative AI could boost productivity by about 15% when fully adopted.

However, other experts paint a much darker picture. Dario Amodei, CEO of AI company Anthropic, warned that AI could eliminate 50% of all entry-level white-collar jobs within the next five years. This could potentially push unemployment rates as high as 20%. The World Economic Forum had previously predicted that 85 million jobs would be displaced by 2025, though they also expected 97 million new jobs to be created, resulting in a net gain.

Geographic differences are also emerging in how AI affects employment. In Asia-Pacific regions, especially China, business leaders are much more pessimistic about AI's job impact. A survey found that 88% of CEOs in China expect AI to displace more jobs than it creates. This regional variation suggests that AI's impact may depend heavily on local economic conditions and government policies.

Companies are adopting different strategies to handle AI transitions. Some, like the Swedish company Klarna, initially reduced their customer service staff by the equivalent of 700 full-time workers when they implemented AI customer service. However, they later had to rehire some employees when they realized that combining human expertise with AI produced better results than pure automation.

Major technology companies are showing mixed signals. Microsoft announced layoffs affecting up to 16,000 workers, partly driven by AI efficiencies. Amazon's CEO has warned that AI will lead to reductions in total headcount, though the company isn't laying off staff yet. Meanwhile, companies like Meta are spending billions hiring AI specialists, creating a stark divide between traditional roles being eliminated and new AI-focused positions being created.

The current moment appears to be a critical transition period. Many companies are implementing hiring freezes for entry-level and repetitive roles, particularly in software and data management, while they experiment with AI capabilities. Only about 9.3% of companies have actually integrated generative AI into their regular production workflows, suggesting that the major disruptions may still be ahead.

For workers, this means the AI revolution is happening now, not in some distant future. The key appears to be adaptation and reskilling, as companies that focus on retraining existing employees rather than simply replacing them are showing better results.