Mar 26, 2026
With AI ramping up its presence in many workplaces, people are losing their jobs and struggling to find new ones in industries that increasingly rely on AI, especially if they’re just starting their careers.
In 2025, Goldman Sachs reported that AI-related innovation in the workplace could displace 6% to 7% of the U.S. workforce (1). Additionally, Stanford economists Erik Brynjolfsson, Bharat Chandar and Ruyu Chen found that early-career employees in fields most exposed to AI have seen a 13% drop in employment since 2022 (2).
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Those numbers can feel harrowing if you’re new to the workforce, especially in fields like software engineering and customer service. But AI doesn’t have to make or break your future in the job market.
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While job disruptions may be increasing, so are efforts to offset these disruptions. Two nonprofits, the AI Commons Project and What We Will, have launched a trial basic income program that will send $1,000 a month to 25 to 50 workers impacted by AI for a year. They’re calling it the AI Dividend.
How the program works
Tech journalist Brian Merchant spoke with Kaitlin Cort, a veteran software engineer, programming instructor and one of the organizers behind the AI Dividend, for his newsletter Blood in the Machine.
Cort told Merchant that she has been mentoring students struggling to land jobs. The few jobs her mentees have secured have “often been demeaning, and not really allowing them to do real engineering work, but rather asking them to review repetitive tasks, and validate parts of code created by AI” (3).
Enter the AI Dividend, a stipend meant to support affected workers while collecting data about how the funds help as they try to move forward and expand the program.
Nick Salazar, executive director of the Fund For a Guaranteed Income (F4GI), also spoke to Merchant. He said that because building AI-related skills takes time, money and connections, “the AI Dividend combines cash with reskilling so workers can actually figure out what’s next” (3).
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Adapting to a high-tech economy
Working in an AI-driven economy can be intimidating. A survey conducted by McKinsey & Company in November 2025 found that 88% of organizations were using AI in at least one business function, up 10% from 2024 (4).
And while tech workers may be on the front lines, they’re not alone. LiveCareer UK says that paralegals, warehouse workers and retail cashiers are among the top 10 jobs AI could replace soon (5).
So what can you do to stay ahead?
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If you are eligible, you can apply for the AI Dividend by filling out the survey at AICommonsProject.com. If you qualify, the organization will contact you.
If you’re keen on remaining in your industry, re-framing your skills can help. Focus on human skills like nuance and intuition to emphasize what you add to an organization as a person. Showing that your skills complement AI systems makes it clear you can work alongside the technology, not be replaced by it.
That said, switching career paths is also an option. Some sectors are less vulnerable to AI disruption.
When discussing the AI Dividend, Cort said leaving tech may be part of the conversation for some participants. “We may need to recommend other career paths in healthcare or skilled trades,” she said (3).
A career change is no small decision. But if you’re struggling in your current field, it could be the reset you need.
Article sources
We rely only on vetted sources and credible third-party reporting. For details, see our editorial ethics and guidelines.
Goldman Sachs (1); Stanford University (2); Blood in the Machine (3); McKinsey & Company (4); LiveCareer UK (5)
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Em Norton is a Content Specialist at moneywise.com. They have been with the company since 2022.
