IBM says it will actually start hiring entry-level human workers, rather than relying entirely on AI

• IBM will triple entry-level worker hiring in the US in 2026
• Human workers are still valuable for customer interactions and verifying AI output
• Dropbox also expanding internship and graduate programs

IBM reportedly plans to triple entry-level worker hiring across the US in 2026, taming fears that artificial intelligence could be set to completely replace junior workers.

Although the exact roles set to be offered have not been confirmed, Bloomberg reporting indicates it could spam multiple departments.

However, there will be some changes as IBM looks to adopt AI in other areas, with entry-level roles getting rewritten slightly to focus on tasks that aren't being palmed off to artificial intelligence.

IBM set to hire more entry-level workers in 2026

While AI looks to handle administrative and repetitive workloads, IBM will likely focus its entry-level human workers on customer engagement and human interaction, as well as overseeing AI outputs.

"And yes, it's for all these jobs that we're being told AI can do," Chief HR Officer Nickle LaMoreaux added speaking at Charter's 'Leading With AI' summit, suggesting that even if computers can automate some tasks, IBM still values human input.

However jobs will evolve and it'll be on companies to rewrite those roles to share their responsibilities with AI.

"The companies three to five years from now that are going to be the most successful are those companies that double down on entry-level hiring," she added (via Charter).

Although IBM hasn't enacted any major layoffs for quite a while, the company did lay off 1,000 Chinese workers in August 2024 and 3,900 in January 2023 to focus the company on higher-growth areas.

IBM's enthusiasm towards entry-level hiring is a breath of fresh air, but the New York tech giant isn't alone in thinking this way. Dropbox has also set out plans to increase the size of its internship and new graduate programs by 25%, noting younger workers' AI fluency.

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