According to CNBC, London ad agency Catalyst now says one junior employee can handle five client accounts, compared with several before, as AI tools do research, draft first-pass copy and gather data. Founder Tobias Green said the shift is changing how the agency views entry-level roles, while Open University's 2026 Business Barometer found 51% of 1,500 U.K. business leaders said AI was changing how they hire and 19% had reduced entry-level recruitment, with 42% of those citing AI adoption.

Talent and technology executives said AI is pushing some employers to hire for broader potential rather than predefined graduate roles. Lucy Beaumont of SHL said some companies are moving toward a more diamond-shaped workforce with more mid-level staff, while Sheila Flavell of FDM Group said tools such as Claude Code and Codex are making developers more responsible for overseeing work done by both AI agents and people. Cheney Hamilton of Bloor said AI can lift junior output but does not provide the judgment needed to know when results are wrong.