AI as a professional opportunity for young people: the case of Carlota Salazar and the future of employment in Spain

If you want a weather forecast, ask the meteorologist. If you want to invest your savings, consult your banker. If you want to change your life... consult AI. That was -more or less- the leap into the void that Carlota Salazar (23 years old) took about four years ago. At just 19, she was immersed in the "core of computing", studying her first year of Software Engineering at the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM), in a class of about 100 people. "It involved a lot of programming and the basics of computer science. Getting to that level didn't satisfy me," he recalls. And that is where AI comes in as an emergency exit, which since its boom has already gotten into everything.

"A teacher told me about a new career that was going to come out. It was like computer science as always, but from a more innovative point of view," he remembers. The UCM was a pioneer in creating a specific career on this new technology, with the Degree in data engineering and artificial intelligence. "It consists of getting value and usefulness from the information," he details, in a class of around 23 people. And AI is everywhere and is fed by massive amounts of data in order to function, so its management is in the hands of the great experts in the field... and the young people who are now training specifically for this, like Salazar. "You don't need a master's degree because you can't specify more."

In fact, the data shows that young people are the AI ​​Generation par excellence, in addition to those who already choose to have a direct relationship with AI in their university career. If before we talked about digital natives, now the real gap is in the adoption of this technology, which grows the younger you are. According to data from the National Institute of Statistics (INE), 57% of people between 25 and 34 years old use AI, a figure that shoots up to 75% if we take a step back, to the cohort of people between 16 and 24 years old. Although the majority of young people use these new digital tools to search for information (54%) or to work (41%), the uses that young people give to this technology are very diverse and an important part turns to AI to get emotional support (20%) or company (7%), for example.

For this reason, it is increasingly important to develop data management and careers like Salazar's... and companies also know this because AI is also changing the labor market. On the one hand, there are those who believe that they will be replaced by these tools. A study carried out by Francisco Rodríguez, director of Financial Studies at Funcas, estimates a gross job destruction of between 1.7 and 2.3 million jobs over the 10-year horizon (2025-2035), especially in the groups of middle and higher level administrative and technical employees. In a more optimistic scenario, the estimated destruction corresponds to around 700,000 jobs and in the worst it could exceed 3.5 million. "This breadth reflects genuine uncertainty about the pace of technological adoption and the speed at which companies will redesign their processes," the document notes. Spain, which has a medium-high exposure to AI compared to the OECD (27.4% compared to 26% on average), has a real risk of automation significantly lower than the average (5.9% compared to 12%). Of course, it does not imply that the positions disappear "en bloc", but rather that "this volume of tasks - currently carried out by workers - could be executed by artificial intelligence systems."

On the other side are those for whom a new opportunity in the labor market is opening up for young people who are preparing themselves with these technologies. Complementarity and the creation of new occupations also come hand in hand. In the first case, the increase in productivity without destroying employment affects an estimated group of between 2.8 and 3.5 million workers, in addition to the fact that companies that use at least one AI have an average productivity that is 27% higher than those that do not use it, especially with everything that has to do with machine learning tools. In the second case, around 1.61 million jobs in the same 10-year horizon (2023-2033), although their distribution is unequal and their access depends on higher educational levels. “At least for me, every two weeks or so I receive an offer on LinkedIn,” Salazar acknowledges. "It is a career in which you win no matter what. Since it is something so new, companies are looking for it a lot and it has a secure job opportunity."

Furthermore, since there are few students who end up graduating "as happens in any engineering," "they compete for students with this type of degree" and they have to ensure that salaries are competitive enough to attract these professionals with the intention of staying on the teams in the long term. For this reason, Salazar points out that companies offer internships with the intention of training them with the specific technologies they use in the organization before moving on to the permanent workforce. "In general, we have all found a place to do internships," he says. Funcas data indicates that precisely the ICT sector leads the adoption of new digital tools with 58.7%, followed by services (25.7%), industry (17.5%) and construction (11.4%).

In his case, he has worked in the consulting sector, where he has dealt with the issue of data governance. That is, "make sure to apply or teach the data protection law (in the case of Spain) and the RGPD (General Data Protection Regulation, at the European level)", he details. For example, "if a company makes an AI system, it depends on what it is used for and it is classified as more or less dangerous. A facial recognition system is considered prohibited, so with the knowledge we have we try to guide the client so that they know their system," explains the young woman.

This is one of the great debates that takes place around its application. In theory, technology companies use filters to prevent AI from accessing private information (such as passwords or bank details), but there are those who doubt issues such as privacy or transparency, which is directly related to data governance. Although the widespread use of AI does not imply a positive view of this technology. In recent months, boos by young students of major technology magnates during graduations from the best universities in the United States have gone viral.

48% consider that the adoption of this technology will be negative for society and 37% that it will be negative for themselves, compared to 20% who consider that it will have a positive impact on their life. Skepticism extends to working life, where in a study by the World Economic Forum, 44% said that the widespread use of artificial intelligence would end up translating into longer working hours, compared to 25% who expected to be able to work less.

The 'hype' of AI

As all of this has had a full impact on everyone's lives, the enthusiasm of the public and media coverage remains high. However, several experts agree that current AI is neither a conscious entity nor a magic solution, without an advanced statistical tool for pattern recognition. Salazar, from within the activity, maintains a critical stance on the matter. "Many times there are high expectations, but I think it's just because of fashion. Many people talk about AI in the washing machine because it has an intelligent option to wash in 30 minutes and not 35. That's not the case. It's too much hype," he acknowledges. "Right now it's kind of new and everyone is excited to see what's in store for us," so it's a technology that will continue to evolve. "But there will come a time when the bubble will burst and it will no longer be available to everyone," he says.

In any case, while this is happening, universities no longer miss the opportunity to train new professionals in these technologies. And companies are not left behind either. In the case of Salazar, he is already considering some job offers for when he finishes his degree. "There are so many applications that I wanted the summer to arrive to evaluate all the options and see which sector I like the most," he says. However, those who are not in this world face a more complicated labor market, especially with temporary offers, uncompetitive salaries and, many times, precarious conditions.