AI Anxiety Among Teens as 36% Worry It Will Take Their Jobs
The BBC Bitesize Careers Survey 2026, based on responses from 4,500 young people aged 13 to 16, reveals that 36% of teenagers worry that AI will eliminate the careers they are planning to pursue.
Despite these concerns, the survey finds that traditional professions remain the most popular career choices among young people, with doctor, engineer, and teacher topping the list. The research suggests that while young people are increasingly aware of AI's disruptive potential, their career aspirations remain broadly conventional.
The findings highlight a tension at the heart of careers education: young people are being told that AI will transform the world of work, yet the guidance and support available to them has not caught up with that reality. Educators and policymakers face the challenge of preparing a generation for a labour market whose contours are still being defined.
