Software developers top AI job-loss fears, study finds

Honcho has published a study on online complaints about artificial intelligence and entry-level work. The analysis found software developers were the role most often cited as being at risk.

It reviewed 2,053 comments from Reddit discussions about AI and job losses in junior positions, ranking occupations by how often they were mentioned as vulnerable to automation. Software developer accounted for 20.57% of mentions, followed by truck driver at 4.57% and engineer at 4%.

The list also included electrician and teacher, each at 2.86%, while customer service representative, secretary, lawyer, call centre agent and tradesperson each recorded 2.29%.

Worker concerns

Honcho Chief Operating Officer Miralda Ishkhanian said the findings pointed to anxiety about how people begin their careers.

"Entry-level roles have always been the training ground of the workforce, the place where people learn the ropes and build experience," Ishkhanian said. "When workers start identifying those jobs as the first to disappear, it signals real uncertainty about how traditional pathways into many industries may be narrowing."

The methodology focused on global Reddit discussions linked to artificial intelligence and entry-level job loss. Occupations were then ranked by total mentions and share of the overall discussion.

Concern was most concentrated around junior software roles. One Reddit commenter wrote: "I have no idea where the programmers of 2060 are going to come from, juniors just aren't even learning the skill."

Transport also featured prominently in the data. One commenter wrote: "Robots with AI most certainly can unload a truck... AI isnt just some microchip in a box on a shelf. It's software that can be put into anything."

Ishkhanian said this reflected a broader question about career development. "This doesn't mean these entry-level jobs will vanish overnight. But perception matters. If young people believe entry pathways are shrinking, it could influence what they study, the career they pursue and how businesses build future talent pipelines."

Trades shift

Some comments highlighted in the analysis did not frame the risk purely as direct automation. In trades, the concern was also that workers from white-collar sectors might move into manual occupations, increasing competition for apprenticeships and junior openings.

One Reddit commenter wrote: "And there will probably be a lot of people wanting to move into the trades because they think it is safer once automation starts taking white-collar jobs. It just seems like there will soon be an oversupply of entry-level workers that can't get a job/apprenticeship, similar to what happened to tech."

Ishkhanian said that concern points to a wider issue. "What's interesting is that people aren't just worried about AI replacing tasks, they're worried about it replacing the learning phase of a career. If junior roles shrink, it raises a bigger question about where the next generation of skilled professionals will come from."

Teaching and legal work also appeared in the top 10, suggesting some workers believe AI could affect occupations that rely on in-person judgement and human interaction. In teaching, one Reddit user said: "The AI teachers of the future will be able to devote 100% of their attention one-on-one to every student. Each student will have a personal AI teacher that is more knowledgeable in every subject, and able to customise each lesson to that specific student's learning style."

On legal work, another commenter wrote: "I had a lawyer when I was POA for my parents, and her job was basically preparing wills and other documents, providing advice and answering my questions. Seems like a legal services chatbot could do most of that with a paralegal basically double-checking their work."

Honcho said the data reflected worker perceptions rather than a forecast of actual job losses. Still, the range of occupations mentioned in the online discussions suggests concern about AI is no longer limited to office administration or software work.

Ishkhanian said the comments also pointed to knock-on effects in the labour market if workers start treating some jobs as safer than others. "There's an interesting secondary effect emerging in the data. If people believe white-collar jobs are at risk, many may pivot toward trades and technical careers. That could create new competition and bottlenecks in industries that were previously seen as secure."

The study was described as an analysis of online opinion rather than direct labour market evidence. It examined 2,053 comments across discussions about AI ending entry-level roles, AI affecting Gen Z workers and job losses linked to automation.

"From the study, it seems workers are worried about how automation will affect entry-level workers' ability to learn the ropes. Even trade roles, such as electricians, are worried, because the automation of administrative or office roles could mean the labour market desperately seeks in-person roles that have a guaranteed pathway to lifelong employment, leading to a strained labour market," Ishkhanian said.