“The real crisis for young people caused by AI is not about jobs, but the disruption of the ‘path of experience’” [Interview]

As artificial intelligence (AI) deeply penetrates workplaces and schools, the employment and learning ecosystem of young people is undergoing fundamental changes.

On the occasion of the 'World Youth Day' on the 12th, world experts recently interviewed by Hankyoreh pointed out that the real crisis that AI takes away from young people is not the reduction of jobs, but the disconnection of the 'path of experience' where they directly perform tasks and build judgment and expertise.

The crisis most immediately detected in the labor field is the atrophy of judgment skills brought about by AI as a work assistance tool. Dr. Connie Bayudan-Dacuycuy of the Philippine Development Research Institute (PIDS) explained, "Working with AI assistance may seem efficient and competent at first, but in reality, it leads to a gradual 'skill decay' phenomenon, where the ability to make independent judgments and solve problems is lost."

She added, "If this problem persists, in 5 to 10 years, we may face a severe structural crisis where there is a lack of managers capable of making complex and important decisions."

According to the '2026 World Employment and Social Outlook' report published by the International Labor Organization (ILO), 29.5% of young people aged 15-24 who have completed higher education (11.1% high exposure, 18.4% medium exposure) are exposed to the risk of job replacement and automation by AI.

The report noted that, unlike high exposure, which implies complete replacement, jobs with medium exposure are likely to form a complementary relationship between humans and technology.

Dr. Bayudan-Dacuycuy emphasized that to overcome this crisis, young people need to switch roles to 'gatekeepers' who verify AI results and introduce a portable competency certification system to compensate for the lack of on-site experience.

The problem is that this disconnection of experience begins in the educational field before young people enter society.

Han Sheng Chia, head of the AI initiative at the Center for Global Development (CGD), cited a Chinese study saying, "Students who submitted homework using AI saw an 18% increase in assignment scores, but a 20% drop in monthly test scores and an 18-24% drop in entrance exam scores."

He also stated, "In a Turkish comparative test, an AI chatbot that provided only correct answers resulted in severe learning loss," and pointed out that it ignores the essential path of experience for students to think critically.

He called for regulatory review of universal chatbots targeting young people.

Ultimately, to connect the broken ladder of experience, a national and social level redesign of the education system is necessary.

Miguel Sanchez Martinez, an economist at the International Labor Organization, emphasized, "To fully enjoy the benefits that AI will bring, digital literacy and critical thinking are needed," and that the education system must be restructured so that young people can acquire the type of knowledge and skills that AI cannot replace.

He presented a differential response strategy tailored to each country's income level.

He suggested that high-income countries should protect entry routes for young people to build careers and establish AI-related retraining programs, while middle-income countries should prioritize policies that align university graduates' skills with the direction of the AI era.

For low-income countries, he argued that 'job creation policies' that increase the basic job ecosystem for young people to enter should be prioritized over technological advancement.

Martinez emphasized, "The challenge faced by young people in low-income countries is not AI, but the lack of quality jobs and stable career prospects," and stressed that focus should be placed on large-scale job creation and basic digital competency enhancement.