# AI hasn’t killed entry-level jobs. It’s raising the bar > Source: > Published: 2026-06-27 03:30:04+00:00 # LettersAI hasn’t killed entry-level jobs. It’s raising the bar Readers discuss the more demanding skill set now required of fresh grads, health authorities’ commitment to protecting patient privacy, and Cathay’s fuel levy reductions *Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at* *[email protected]**or filling in* *this Google form**. Submissions should not exceed 400 words.* [wiping out entry-level roles](https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3356549/ai-and-market-shifts-leave-hong-kongs-grads-facing-toughest-job-hunt-2021?module=inline&pgtype=article). The reality is more subtle and arguably more troubling for young graduates. According to a new PwC analysis of more than 1 billion job postings, entry-level jobs haven’t disappeared – they’ve been “seniorised”. In occupations highly exposed to AI, entry-level roles are likely to require skills that have historically appeared later in a career: strategic decision-making, stakeholder management, leadership and judgment. That’s a great deal to ask of a 22-year-old fresh out of college, unless the candidate has extensive internship experience and strong mentorship throughout the four-year higher education journey. [fresh graduates in Hong Kong](https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3353503/calls-grow-hire-locals-graduate-jobs-decline-amid-ai-economic-pressures?module=inline&pgtype=article). In just a few short years, the number has gone down by 61 per cent to 31,000 in 2025, and I would not be surprised to see this number go even lower. The implication is clear. Organisations still need fresh talent; they just want fresh talent that thinks like a 15-year veteran. They want maturity, professional intuition and the ability to navigate ambiguity, traits that used to be developed across a decade of on-the-job learning. This trend is not driven by employer cynicism. As AI automates routine tasks, employers are placing a greater premium on uniquely human capabilities. They are asking early-career workers to contribute those skills sooner than in the past. The bar has been raised, and the infrastructure to help graduates clear it hasn’t kept pace.