New research and industry commentary are highlighting how generative AI is changing expectations for early-career work while reducing the on-the-job learning pathways that organizations relied on to develop future talent. A D2L–Morning Consult study found many HR leaders report AI is increasing productivity expectations for entry-level roles without changing staffing levels, with over half saying companies are assigning fewer basic tasks to junior team members. The report also flags a potential skills pipeline problem: 74% of HR leaders said they do not have employee development programs in place to replace the on-the-job training that may be lost. Respondents reported reductions in problem solving, interpersonal skills, and communication among recent hires compared with earlier cohorts. Separately, economists and workforce leaders continue to debate how entry-level roles should be restructured in an AI-augmented economy, with concerns that removing “practice” jobs may hurt senior-level readiness later. The Fed’s earlier Arrow-based framework is now being used by researchers to argue that experiential learning is hard to replicate outside the workplace. For higher education, the implication is clear: career preparation models may need to shift from training for tasks that are disappearing toward structured, supervised skill-building that recreates the missing practice environment.