New hires now arrive expecting AI to do the first draft of almost everything. They are AI-native, and companies will have to change with them.
The change has already started. In a June 2026 survey of 750 senior HR leaders, Cognizant and Pearson found that one in three entry-level tasks is now done by AI. The new junior employee, they say, is less a data-entry clerk and more an "air-traffic controller" who directs AI and checks its work. 96% of these leaders expect entry-level jobs to become AI-supervision jobs within five years, and 98% now look for AI skills even in non-technical roles.
The World Economic Forum says 37% of young workers worldwide are in jobs highly exposed to AI — three in four in Eastern Asia. McKinsey finds younger leaders expect AI agents to take over multi-step work much sooner than older leaders do.
The gap is the problem. About 69% of companies say they want to invest in AI skills, but only around 20% of employees take part in structured training. Processes that assume AI does not exist will simply be worked around.
What it means for your business
- Redesign junior and manager roles around directing and checking AI work.
- Make AI skills a basic requirement for everyone, not a course for a few.
- Set AI rules and access controls now — new hires will bring AI tools either way.
How MTH can help: Our BEAST AI program builds AI skills around your real workflows, and our Agentic AI for Every Department solution gives teams safe, governed agents.
This briefing is original commentary by MTH based on public reporting; figures are as reported by the sources named above and may be revised over time.
