Interestingly, the report flipped the old “automation replaces blue-collar” narrative on its head. Today’s AI-exposed workers are more likely to be:
Highly Educated: Graduate degree holders are nearly four times more likely to be in high-exposure roles.
Higher Paid: The average “exposed” worker earns 47% more than those in the “Zero Exposure” physical trades.
Entry-Level Strugglers: Hiring for the 22–25 age group in exposed fields has dropped by 14% since late 2022. Companies aren’t necessarily firing the veterans; they’re just closing the door on the juniors.
“AI is far from reaching its theoretical capability. Actual coverage remains a fraction of what’s feasible, mostly because the real world is much messier than a digital prompt.” – Anthropic Research, March 2026
