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Whose jobs will survive and whose will disappear in the AI era? Whose salaries will rise and whose will fall? Which degrees will remain valuable and which may become obsolete? Will students pursuing BCA, B.Com, BA (Translation) or similar courses struggle to find jobs?
Will collecting AI course certificates alone guarantee employment? Will graduation still matter? What does the future hold for students currently in Classes 10 and 12, and which career paths will be safest for them?
Bhaskar’s special series, “Where is the career in the AI era?”, answers these questions. In the first part, read about the degrees likely to be affected the most.
40% of companies now prefer candidates with a degree plus AI skills
A major transformation has already begun in fields such as information technology, law, commerce, translation, design and library science. AI tools have either eliminated or sharply reduced many tasks for which millions of students pursue degrees every year.
According to leading HR firm TeamLease, 40% of companies now consider hybrid skills—a degree combined with knowledge of AI tools—as essential. A 2024 NASSCOM report says that 82% of BCA and MCA graduates in India have not received formal training in AI tools.
According to the World Economic Forum, “Jobs will remain with people who can use AI tools to increase productivity by up to 40%.” An IBM Institute for Business Value report says, “AI will not replace people, but people who use AI will replace those who do not.” The Future of Jobs Report 2025 estimates that 22% of jobs could be affected by 2030.
These degrees are losing value… here’s why
1. BA/MA Translation
DeepL can translate a page in just two seconds, a task that earlier took an experienced translator around 45 minutes. Translation jobs declined by up to 60% between 2019 and 2024.
2. BCA/MCA
GitHub Copilot can generate code in about 40 seconds. A BCA graduate would typically take nearly three hours for the same task. Work that required 12 junior coders in 2023 often needs only three in 2025.
3. Diploma in Graphics
Canva AI can create social media banners in 12 seconds, compared to the 45 minutes it previously took. Rates for basic logos and banners fell by 70% between 2021 and 2024. Companies now need only two junior designers instead of six.
4. B.Lib/M.Lib
The Central Library at IIT Delhi implemented KOHA’s AI module. Tasks that previously required four people to update catalogues are now handled by one person who mainly verifies AI-generated outputs.
What should students with these degrees do now?
Expert view: Pankaj Bansal
(Co-founder, HR-tech company PeopleStrong and TAGGD)
1. What will happen to traditional degrees?
Traditional degrees will not become completely useless, but they are becoming less relevant. If teaching methods and course content do not change, their value will decline significantly. The market no longer needs average candidates who rely only on theory and memorisation. Upskilling is essential.
2. What can current students do?
Students in their second or third year should start working on live projects. They should obtain professional access to AI tools, spend at least six months using them intensively and build software, websites or practical solutions.
3. What should graduates do?
The best route is internships and practical projects. If opportunities at large companies are unavailable, students should work with startups, NGOs, local factories or businesses, understand their problems and solve them using AI.
4. How valuable will graduation remain?
In India, a graduation degree is still important for shortlisting job applications and is likely to remain so for the next three to five years. After that, the National Education Policy’s credit-based framework could gradually replace the traditional degree-focused system, giving more weight to practical work and professional courses.
5. What is the best way to secure a job?
Aim to become a “10x engineer” or “10x professional” — someone capable of delivering the output of ten average workers with the help of technology. Companies are willing to pay significantly higher salaries to people who can save time and costs through AI.
6. Do AI course certificates guarantee jobs?
No. A certificate alone does not guarantee employment. It may help a resume get shortlisted, but candidates still need strong fundamentals, practical AI skills and the ability to clear assessments.
7. How is AI affecting entry-level jobs?
There is short-term pressure because work previously done by 10 people can now be completed by two people using AI. Traditional IT firms such as Infosys, Wipro and TCS initially slowed or postponed fresher hiring. However, this is expected to be a temporary trend, with overall job growth continuing in the long run.
8. Where will young people find jobs if IT companies reduce hiring?
India is witnessing rapid growth in Global Capability Centres (GCCs). There are more than 4,000 GCCs in the country, and new centres are opening every week. These organisations are actively hiring AI-skilled professionals with attractive salary packages.
9. Will AI completely replace humans?
No. Many organisations are realising that AI costs, including token usage and GPU processing, are not always lower than human costs. In several cases, hiring people can be more economical. Roles requiring human judgement and interpersonal interaction cannot be fully replaced by AI.
10. Which human skills and sectors will remain strongest?
Four human strengths will become even more valuable:
Sectors expected to remain strong include hospitality, data sciences, sales and AI-assisted specialist roles such as doctors and journalists who know how to use AI effectively.
China already adapted
China shuts 12,000 degree programmes, launches AI-focused courses
Between 2021 and 2025, Chinese universities cancelled or suspended more than 12,200 undergraduate programmes while introducing nearly 10,200 new ones. Many of the discontinued programmes were in arts, humanities, foreign languages and management. The government has pushed universities to produce talent for AI, semiconductors, robotics and other strategic industries.
Karnataka takes the first step in India
The Karnataka government has discontinued 458 BA, BSc and BCom programme combinations in government colleges for the 2026-27 academic year, citing low enrolment and other factors. More than 1,300 courses have also seen seat reductions.
To be continued tomorrow in Part 2…
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