IBM is tripling entry-level hiring, a move the company is framing as a long-term bet as AI changes what junior jobs look like. This unfolds in contrast with many companies announcing layoffs because of mass AI adoption.

Nickle LaMoreaux, IBM senior vice president and chief human resources officer, said companies need to redesign work as AI takes over tasks that used to define early career roles. 

“The companies three to five years from now that are going to be the most successful are those companies that doubled down on entry-level hiring in this environment,” LaMoreaux said in a recent conference.

According to her, companies must “rewrite” every job, attributing to entry-level jobs from two to three years ago that can now be handled by AI. She, however, said that these roles can evolve. 

As an example of shifting work, LaMoreaux said IBM developers in 2024 would have spent 34 hours a week coding. In 2026, she said, they still code with AI assistance, but spend more time working with marketing teams and clients to build products.

IBM’s VP of global talent acquisition and executive search, Natasha Pillay-Bemath, also referred to the company’s effort of hiring entry‑level talent across roles. These roles include software developers and also junior roles in areas AI could handle, including human resources and employee and customer support. 

She said AI can speed work, but cannot replace human judgment in complex decisions. 

“AI can boost productivity, but it can’t develop the next generation of technical leaders or innovators,” Pillay Bemath added.