I recently had a conversation with a prompt-writing specialist at a Fortune 50 defense company that shifted my outlook on my journalism and communications career.
“I’m reading the writing on the wall, and it’s written by AI,” he told me.
That same colleague was a magazine editor for over 10 years and a seasoned journalist with more than three decades of newsroom experience. So hearing him not only acknowledge artificial intelligence’s role in our industry but also embrace it felt rare.
This was the first time I heard someone in communications discuss AI without shutting the conversation down entirely. Yet, on campus and in my classes, I still hear hesitation and skepticism from peers and professors who fear what AI means for journalism.
But outside the classroom, I’m seeing a different picture.
As an intern at a leading defense company, I’m exposed to AI not only in advanced technology systems but also in everyday communications work. From drafting press releases to building internal messaging strategies, AI is part of the daily workflow. It hasn’t felt like AI is replacing anyone, but rather reshaping the work.
Which brings me to the question most of us are quietly asking: What about the job market?
“There’s always going to be something going on in the job market, causing some concern about a decrease in jobs,” Aaron Sturgill, executive director of career readiness at Ohio University, said. He believes AI is the current concern for early-career professionals.
Earlier this month, the Wall Street Journal reported “one in five companies in the S&P 500 has fewer employees today than a decade ago,” suggesting this is not just a cyclical expense-cutting measure.
“I think (AI) is reshaping what entry-level work means,” Sturgill said. “And I don’t know that we’ve figured out how to translate that just yet.”
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy warned in a company-wide memo that AI is advancing rapidly, will reduce corporate jobs and could lead to a smaller company overall as AI agents take over routine tasks.
To me, it’s clear companies are moving from a traditional triangle-shaped workforce with many entry-level roles to a diamond shape with fewer entry-level roles and more mid-level professionals. This shift feels concerning for someone like me entering her senior year and preparing to look for a full-time job.
This uncertainty has real consequences. A recent LinkedIn report found Generation Z professionals are the most pessimistic about their careers, citing AI, political instability and a shrinking pool of job opportunities.
Sturgill said students should not panic and believes students can combat worry by mapping out their long-term goals and creating benchmarks based on general market information.
“You can’t always start three steps away from your dream job,” Sturgill said. “So I think it’s about creating the ideal plan, then creating the back-up plan and knowing you have a career coach here at (Ohio University) for life.”
According to Sturgill, early career professionals can get a leg up by being “technology curious” and learning to use AI tools in their work. Some professors at OU have shifted their class structures to prepare students for this change. Quang Nguyen, an adjunct professor in media studies, who is currently earning his master’s in AI through the computer science program, is one of them.
Nguyen utilized Python and large language models to analyze over 3,000 journalism articles for his dissertation, a task that would have taken a team weeks but was completed in hours with AI. He now encourages students to embrace AI as a “productive assistant rather than a master,” using it to support research and idea organization.
Nguyen feels students shouldn’t fear AI, but view it as a tool that boosts both the quality and speed of their work. As AI takes on more cognitive tasks, Nguyen said he believes emotional intelligence becomes more valuable than IQ, highlighting the growing importance of how we treat one another.
“I don’t think that IQ is as important anymore,” Nguyen said. “But EQ, how we treat each other, is more important because now AI empowers thinking.”
In OU’s College of Business, Ehsan Ardjmand, associate professor and director of the Master of Business Analytics, is also preparing students for what’s ahead. Ardjmand said keeping up with evolving technology in business is important, and he is structuring his courses to empower students to use AI and Machine Learning as a “tool in their backpack, that they can use for whatever job they are going to do in the future.”
“When it comes to business, they tend to be more nimble and very open to changes compared to engineering departments,” Ardjmand said. “We have started to seriously incorporate AI topics in our courses and most importantly, we have also started a conference certificate in AI in business.”
This piece was born out of a moment of frustration, feeling surrounded by voices resistant to change, dismissing AI as just another passing threat. But AI isn’t a threat, it is the writing on the wall: clear, inevitable and authored by the very technology we fear. It’s not here to replace us; it’s a tool, waiting for us to decide how to use it. Ignoring it doesn’t protect us. It only ensures we fall behind.
Abby Waechter is a senior studying strategic communication at Ohio University. Please note the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Have something to say? Email Abby at aw087421@ohio.edu.