Survey Reveals Deep Divide Over AI Use Among Junior Workers as Experts Warn of Skill Development Risks

A new survey of 1,686 U.S. workers exposes a sharp divide over AI use among junior employees, with 35% demanding an outright ban as experts warn over-reliance on AI risks stunting early-career skill development at a time when entry-level jobs are already under threat.

• A new CNBC and SurveyMonkey survey of 1,686 U.S. workers reveals deep division over AI use among junior employees, with 42% supporting its use with guidelines, 35% calling for an outright ban, and the remaining respondents split between supervised use and unrestricted access.
• Experts warn that over-reliance on AI could hinder early-career workers from developing critical foundational skills, as entry-level jobs already face growing disruption, with nearly one-third of employers now raising experience requirements for those roles due to AI.
• Gen Z workers are the most skeptical, with 42% favoring a prohibition on AI use for junior staff, while career experts stress that critical thinking, communication, and collaboration remain the top skills employers seek and are more important than ever in the AI era.