The Interns Teaching Bosses How to Build AI

For many students, the shift represents a departure from standard office support. Jasreen Toor, a UC Berkeley junior at Eightfold AI, spent her summer developing Claude agents to draft marketing materials rather than managing basic data entry. Companies are increasingly prioritizing these AI-native skills, with entry-level job requirements for artificial intelligence expertise jumping from 13.5% to 35% in just six months, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers.

This evolution is reshaping the professional development ladder. At Liberty Mutual, interns previously burdened with routine document review are now using AI to visualize data, allowing them to focus on high-level business presentations. Maura Quinn, the firm's vice president of early talent, notes that while AI handles the processing, it forces interns to exercise judgment earlier in their careers. Similarly, Northeastern University reports a doubling of co-op placements requiring AI skills, as students move from writing basic code to managing large-scale, automated project architectures.

However, this transition creates a new set of risks. As AI absorbs entry-level responsibilities, the fundamental training ground for junior employees begins to shrink. Shanda Mints of Korn Ferry warns that unless companies intentionally design internships to foster critical thinking, they risk creating a generation that can prompt a machine but lacks the foundational experience to evaluate its output. For the Class of 2026, the challenge lies in balancing the demand for high-value technical contributions with the need to develop the professional instincts that automation cannot replicate.