IBM Plans Massive Entry-Level Hiring Drive as AI Transforms Work

IBM plans to triple entry-level hiring in the United States in 2026, even as AI reshapes the kinds of jobs available to new graduates.

Tech giant IBM is taking a different approach to artificial intelligence by tripling the number of entry-level employees and it plans to hire in the US this year. According to the company, the new roles will be centered on duties that call for human judgment, interacting with customers, and supervising AI systems.

Instead of cutting employment for positions that AI is predicted to automate, the corporation intends to increase entry-level hiring. Speaking at the Leading with AI Summit in New York, IBM’s Chief Human Resources Officer Nickle LaMoreaux stated that this growth will apply even to tasks that many people assume AI can already manage. In other words, IBM does not see automation as a justification to reduce its junior-level employees, believing that human employees, alongside AI tools, continue to play an important role.

She said, “We are tripling our entry-level hiring, and yes, that is for software developers and all these jobs we’re being told AI can do.” She also added that the companies which doubled down on employing entry-level employees in this environment will be the most successful in three to five years.

IBM has successively revised its roles across sectors to allow for AI fluency, even though she acknowledged that many of the tasks that were previously characterized as entry-level positions can now be automated. For instance, HR employees will focus more on using chatbots to step in rather than having to respond to every query, while software engineers will spend less time on repetitive coding and more time engaging with consumers.