NYU Stern's chief AI scientist emphasizes the tech industry's cyclical nature and questions why AI jobs would be safer than other roles.
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The AI job market is hot, and it seems like everyone wants to get in on it.
Universities are developing curricula as these roles grow in demand, while people are signing up for boot camps and creating solo projects to skill up for the AI race.
But hopping on the AI job train may not be the smartest idea, Conor Grennan, the chief AI architect at New York University's Stern School of Business, told Business Insider. Grennan emphasized the tech industry's cyclical nature and questioned the long-term stability of AI jobs.
"The tech sector implodes from time," Grennan said, adding: "All of a sudden, there's no jobs in tech."
Grennan added that there's no "magic elixir" for stability in tech because the industry goes through hiring booms and layoffs, like everywhere else.
The tech industry has seen massive job cuts over the past two years, with over 550,000 layoffs since 2022, according to the online tracker Layoffs.fyi. Companies including Google, Meta, Amazon, and Tesla have slashed their workforces in multiple rounds of cuts.
At the same time, companies have been cashing in on AI, going on hiring sprees as they restructure for the artificial-intelligence boom. But with companies like Microsoft and Amazon presenting lower-than-expected earnings last week, tech shares have dipped, and investors are concerned that the hype may be at a reckoning.
Grennan warns against chasing industries in general and advises people to go with what they're good at. He strongly encourages MBAs to discover "their gift and passion," he said, and then get trained on AI "so they can elevate the quality and efficiency of their work," regardless of the role or industry they choose.
While he recommends using tech, he doesn't believe people should drop their interests to work in tech just because it's having a moment.
"I really encourage people to think, 'What do you mean when you say you want a job in AI?' Because that's not what you're passionate about," Grennan said. "You're not passionate about coding and trying to figure out how these models work."
In fact, Grennan said "the beauty of this revelation" is not needing to know how the models work to use it to your advantage.
Grennan stressed the importance of jobs in marketing, operations, and other services that are still needed in the labor market. The tech sector also relies on these jobs to support their companies, Grennan said.
"People are thinking, 'Oh, chase the hot, new thing,'" Grennan said. "No, the hot, new thing is going to enhance everything that you're passionate about."
He added: "And that's what you want to be on the cutting edge of."
