“The reality right now is that our students who are graduating are facing higher unemployment,” said Contreras, noting that entry-level jobs are seeing the largest impact. “Entry-level roles are being compressed as routine tasks are automated, and the skillset required to enter the workforce is rising,” he said. To illustrate, he shared some of this year’s layoff headlines from companies like Workday, Salesforce, Microsoft and Amazon. Preparing students for a new workforce While organizations will still have a C-suite and layers of management, entry-level roles will increasingly disappear. “We need to prepare students with the judgment and oversight skills now expected at the start of their careers, skills traditionally seen in manager- level positions,” said Contreras. “Employers are really looking to hire proof, not potential.” Employers want algorithmic thinking and evidence that students can solve problems. Coding isn’t essential, but critical thinking that incorporates logic and reasoning is. “Employers expect competence, judgment and adaptability,” he said. This shift is changing higher education. Many students already use AI with little guidance or oversight, which Contreras sees as the biggest risk. For learning to be impactful, AI cannot simply act as an answer machine. “Employers are really looking to hire proof, not potential.” Jeremiah Contreras, associate teaching professor When used well, AI can strengthen learning and push critical thinking, Brady believes. He uses AI as a teaching assistant for one of his courses, available 24/7 for students. His homegrown tool includes what the industry calls “guardrails,” redirecting students to course materials and lecture slides rather than doing the work for them. “The same way that a human teaching assistant is artful and graceful in allowing for productive struggle,” AI can be trained to facilitate learning in the same way,” he said. An added benefit: the tool can help shy students who don’t necessarily advocate for themselves in class. Understanding the AI shift Artificial intelligence has moved from the margins to the mainstream of business. It’s no longer a future concept—it’s a present reality that is reshaping roles, redefining skills and challenging how organizations build their workforce. Kala and Shiv Khatri Endowed Faculty Scholar and Associate Teaching Professor Contreras and Assistant Teaching Professor Brady walked attendees through AI’s evolution—from early machine learning to agentic AI and the possibility of artificial super intelligence, a theoretical future where AI could surpass human intelligence across many domains. So how is Leeds preparing students for this rapidly changing landscape? In a realm filled with uncertainty, evolving regulations and unpredictable effects, they outlined both challenges and opportunities. Shaping Thinkers, Not Just Technicians: Leeds' Approach to AI-Era Learning By Jane Majkiewicz To read the full article click here. At the Colorado Business Economic Outlook Forum on Dec. 8, Jeremiah Contreras and Matthew Brady presented “Talent in Transition: Building an AI-Ready Workforce.”
