In finance, entry-level grunt work has long been a rite of passage. Before moving up the career ladder, beginner investment analysts and novice underwriters and auditors first earn their stripes performing the un-glamorous basics: searching documents, preparing presentations, analyzing data and tweaking financial models. Those are tasks that generative AI is increasingly capable of doing itself.

No surprise, then, that earlier this year the New York Times reported that banks were debating cuts to the size of their incoming analyst classes. Similar dynamics could put early career jobs at risk in sectors like law, consulting, media, marketing, technology and the creative industry.