Artificial intelligence (AI) is already affecting entry-level hiring, with 21% of chief human resources officers (CHROs) saying at least one business leader in their organization has stopped hiring for entry-level roles because of AI automation.
The finding comes from a fourth-quarter 2025 Gartner survey of 110 heads of HR. It highlights a growing concern for workers starting their careers as companies use AI to handle some of the simpler tasks traditionally assigned to new employees.
The shift is happening even as most companies are still struggling to get major business benefits from AI. Gartner found that 95% of organizations had implemented AI in some form over the previous year, but only one in five had achieved significant or transformational value from those investments.
For workers, this could mean fewer opportunities to get their first job and build experience.
Many entry-level positions have traditionally given employees a chance to learn basic skills, build professional networks, and understand how a company works. As AI takes over some of these routine tasks, companies may have fewer low-risk jobs where new workers can gain that experience.
“Organizations that respond by cutting their early career talent pipelines altogether risk creating significant workforce challenges down the road,” said Kaelyn Lowmaster, director analyst in the Gartner HR practice. “Instead of eliminating these early career roles, organizations should redefine them to enable earlier contributions to higher-value work and build the talent they will need in the future.”
Gartner warned that eliminating entry-level positions could also create higher costs for companies. Without enough employees being developed internally, businesses may have to hire experienced workers from outside, potentially paying more for the skills they need.
The research firm recommends that companies rethink what entry-level employees do as AI changes the workplace. Instead of simply removing jobs, businesses can move workers into tasks that require more judgment, problem-solving, and human decision-making.
“Traditional development approaches are no longer sufficient in an AI-enabled environment,” said Meaghan Kelly, director analyst in the Gartner HR practice. “Organizations can’t rely on gradual skill-building through routine work. Instead, they must provide the support structures that allow early career employees to operate effectively in more complex, judgment-intensive roles much earlier in their careers.”
This shift could make adaptability more important for workers entering the job market. A December 2025 Gartner survey of 3,086 employees found that employees were 3.8 times more likely to have high skills preparedness when they could build on a foundation of adaptable skills.
For companies, Gartner recommends identifying which tasks AI can handle, which still require people, and where early-career workers can take on more valuable responsibilities.
The goal, Gartner said, should not simply be to use AI to reduce headcount, but to redesign jobs so employees can work alongside AI and develop skills that remain valuable as the technology advances.