India is showing the world what AI will do to jobs and education

India is offering a glimpse into the future impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on employment and education, according to a recent survey of 651 Indian technology firms. The survey revealed that 65% of these firms reported that AI had reduced hiring. In Britain, government and LinkedIn data showed that 30 out of 38 tracked entry-level occupations were declining, with the steepest falls concentrated in structured information work.

Despite the apparent contradiction, India's technology sector is still growing, with its 2026 industry review projecting revenue to rise 6.1% to US$315 billion, while employment is expected to increase 2.3% to about 5.95 million. However, the real impact of AI lies in its ability to perform parts of a workflow, which may not be enough to displace entire professions. Once AI absorbs enough routine work, the remaining tasks may no longer justify hiring another full employee, narrowing the entry point for new workers.

This phenomenon is particularly visible in India due to its large flow of graduates and economy heavily reliant on technology services and other codified digital work. Higher education, which is central to upward mobility, is being disrupted by AI. Entry-level professional work, which traditionally involved structured execution and provided a way for inexperienced workers to enter organizations, is now being taken over by AI.

As AI takes over routine components, the human boundary moves upward, requiring more capable employees to check AI output, supply context, and handle exceptions.

The job may still exist, but it becomes more demanding and less suitable for ordinary beginners. A similar pattern is emerging in Britain, where entry-level hiring in 30 out of 38 occupations is falling. The labour market is also weakening, so the decline in entry-level jobs does not necessarily prove AI's direct impact. However, as AI becomes more capable and cheaper, it may remove enough low-complexity work that the remaining workload falls below the cost of adding another employee, leading to a seniorization of entry-level jobs.

This does not mean every graduate job will disappear, but some positions will vanish due to too little beginner work remaining, while others will survive but demand stronger domain knowledge, AI supervision, and judgement from day one. The Indian survey found that 55% of firms are declining entry-level employment, while mid-level employment is more likely to rise, and senior employment is largely unchanged. Demand is not simply disappearing; it is shifting towards more specialized capabilities.