Like the personal computer and the internet, artificial intelligence (AI) will completely revolutionize how we do work. Faced with the unknown of exactly how AI will change the workplace, many Americans are fearful. A Pew survey from February 2025 shows that 52% of workers are worried about the future impact of AI on the workplace, and 32% think it will lead to fewer job opportunities for them in the long run.
Despite such fears and local warnings earlier this year that AI could replace up to half of entry-level white-collar jobs in the future, there is also cause for hope and excitement. While it’s true the job market is tight right now, with fewer jobs available overall, this is due largely to economic factors and not entirely due to AI. But this situation is not permanent. As the labor market strengthens, AI-related jobs will return with higher productivity, profitability and wages.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects that the fastest-growing occupations are professional, scientific and technical jobs, with a growth of more than 163,000 new jobs from 2023 to 2033. This projection includes jobs with high AI exposure like computer systems designers, data scientists and information security analysts. BLS also reports that employers are paying a premium wage for employees with AI skills, like computer hardware engineers ($159k median), database architects ($134k median), computer network architects ($134k median) and software developers ($128k median).
In addition, research by Cicero reports that employers are generally optimistic about the job outlook for college graduates, with 67% predicting AI will add jobs and only 29% predicting job loss due to AI. Not surprisingly, a majority of employers (57%) are more likely to seek out skilled AI users when hiring.
Living in the Beehive State, we are fortunate to have a strong AI-ready state economy. A concerted effort by Gov. Spencer Cox and the Utah Office of Artificial Intelligence Policy set a regulatory framework for the use of AI and led to legislation that encourages AI innovation while ensuring oversight. Expanding the conversation are initiatives like the governor’s “One Utah Summit” and “Energy Superabundance,” along with legislative leadership such as the passage of the Artificial Intelligence Policy Act (UAIPA) in 2024 and public-private partnerships.
Because of these efforts, Utah is ranked as No. 3 most ready to “win the AI race,” with 13% of businesses already using AI and demand in healthcare, finance, logistics and advanced manufacturing driving this growth. 3 most ready to “win the AI race,” with 13% of businesses already using AI and demand in healthcare, finance, logistics and advanced manufacturing driving this growth., finance, logistics and advanced manufacturing driving this growth.
At the same time, Western Governors University (WGU) and other Utah-based higher education institutions, including Salt Lake Community College, the University of Utah and Utah Valley University, are making swift strides to respond to urgent workforce and education demands for AI. At WGU, our newly launched programs are informed by market research and consultation with technology industry leaders who told us the AI skills most in demand:
- AI literacy, enablement and prompt engineering: Understanding how to collaborate with, train or direct AI tools.
- Machine learning and data science proficiency: Expertise in Deep Learning and Natural Language Processing.
- Data fluency: The ability to interpret, communicate, govern and act on data insights.
- Digital resilience: Skills in cybersecurity awareness, digital ethics, responsible AI use and privacy.
- Human-AI collaboration: Knowing when to lean into automation and when to rely on human judgment.
- Sustainability and systems thinking: Understanding environmental, social and economic impacts of AI across business operations.
In addition, at WGU we are seeing a heightened interest from employers in non-technology power skills like communication, adaptability, collaboration, computational and critical thinking, and leadership. Because of the current drop in entry-level job openings, WGU is also developing more hands-on and experiential learning programs and virtual internships so that our students graduate with the skills needed to get hired one step beyond entry-level.
Employers wanting to “future proof” their businesses would be wise to train in these areas. Progressive companies will see the value of investing in AI training, and future business success will be defined by the ability to positively adapt and the readiness to plan and implement upskilling measures.
At its best, AI allows humans to focus on creative and strategic thinking to deliver complex problem-solving. Workers and employers who continue to invest in career capital will adapt and evolve successfully. We’ve seen at WGU that it’s not so much what AI will do in the workplace. It’s what employers, government, higher learning and workers will do with AI.