The news: AI is taking over tasks once handled by junior staff. Agencies and brands are embracing the efficiency and cost savings of AI—but at the risk of cutting the very pipeline that feeds future leadership, per MarTech. 

In Q2 2025, unemployment among recent college grads (ages 22–27) hit 5.8%—the same as adults without a high school diploma, per US Census Bureau and US Bureau of Labor Statistics data, as cited by the New York Federal Reserve.

Key stats: 68% of marketers in North America plan to use AI to generate insights and recommendations within a year, per GrowthLoop and Ascend2, and 63% intend to use it for content generation and ideation. That rapid uptake underscores how quickly machines are taking over foundational work once firmly in the realm of entry-level employees.

The problem: As AI adoption accelerates, junior marketers are being pushed into short-term contracts or required to add extra skills like design and coding. But this shift risks diluting expertise in core marketing disciplines and shrinking the pool of future strategists and leaders.

“We were feeling like we didn’t need as many junior marketers at our agency, and I saw that as a plus,” said Jennifer Spire, partner and CEO of Preston Spire. The efficiency looked attractive—until she realized the model could leave a leadership vacuum just a few years down the road.

Finding a middle ground: Agencies like Minneapolis, Minnesota-based Preston Spire have reorganized staffing, reducing the need for entry-level hires, but they acknowledge that reducing entry-level roles could be detrimental to future growth.

“I was looking at 2029, 2030, and realized that our staffing plan was going to have a problem,” said Spire. “Where are we going to get the mid-level and higher individuals in any discipline? We were going to have a crisis.”

• Agencies like Spire now seek candidates who think critically, adapt quickly, and apply AI in business contexts—so they can later guide tool adoption and turn digital fluency into organizational learning.
• Spire is also urging the University of Minnesota to weave AI more deeply into marketing and advertising curricula.

Our take: Marketers are realizing they can’t afford to treat AI as a zero-sum replacement for junior talent. 

The smart play is balance: Use AI for short-term efficiency while still investing in entry-level hires who can grow into long-term strategists and leaders. Pair automation with training, expand AI education, and let young staff lead adoption. That balance drives efficiency now while protecting tomorrow’s talent pipeline.