AI is killing teen jobs faster

AI is already reshaping the workforce. What about teenagers?

Turns out, they might be more impacted than anyone else. After all, they're usually in low-skill entry-level jobs that AI can replace. The problem ... teens are losing their first experience with working, making money, and establishing an identity outside of their homes.

In this episode of TechFirst, host John Koetsier speaks with Karissa Tang, a high school senior and UCLA research assistant, about her new study on how AI will impact teen employment. While most workforce studies focus on adults, Karissa analyzed the top 10 most popular teen jobs from cashiers to fast food workers and found something alarming: AI could reduce teen employment by nearly 30% by 2030.

We dig into:

• Which teen jobs are most vulnerable to AI and automation

• Why cashiers and fast-food counter workers are hardest hit

• The role of self-checkout, kiosks, and robots like Flippy

• Which teen jobs appear safest (for now)

• Why teens may be even more exposed to AI than adults

• What schools, policymakers, and teens themselves can do next

This is a must-watch conversation for parents, students, educators, and policymakers trying to understand how AI is reshaping early work experiences—and what it means for the next generation.

🎙 Guest

Karissa Tang

• Founder, Booted (board games company)

• Research Assistant, UCLA

• Former Intern, NSV Wolf Capital

• High school senior and author of a 20-page research paper on AI & teen employment

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00:00 – Will AI Kill Teen Jobs?

01:35 – Why a Teen Studied Teen Employment

03:10 – The Shocking 30% Job Loss Prediction

05:10 – Top 10 Teen Jobs Most at Risk

07:20 – Cashiers, Kiosks, and Self-Checkout

09:40 – Fast Food, Retail, and AI Displacement

12:15 – Which Teen Jobs Are Safest from AI

15:05 – Robots Like Flippy and the Future of Cooking Jobs

18:00 – Why Teen Jobs Are More Vulnerable Than Adult Jobs

21:40 – The Importance of Human Interaction at Work

25:10 – What Inspired the Research Study

29:30 – How the Data and Methodology Worked

33:40 – What Teens Can Do to Stay Employable

37:30 – Skills, AI Literacy, and Creating New Opportunities

41:00 – Final Thoughts on the Future of Teen Work