An increasing number of young people are worried about how artificial intelligence (AI) could affect their future careers, according to a new study by the German health insurer Barmer, published in autumn 2024.

The survey found that over one in five teenagers (22%) aged 14 to 17 feared their career plans could be endangered by AI, representing a noticeable rise from 17% in 2023. Meanwhile, 23% said they were not at all concerned, and 46% felt their prospects were "rather not" threatened. Around 2,000 young people across Germany took part in the study.

Almost a quarter of respondents (23%) said they would like to work in the IT sector, though 19% of those expressed concern about their career prospects in light of technological change. Anxiety was even higher among those aspiring to work in electrical engineering (27%) and manufacturing (24%), where automation and AI are expected to have major impacts.

Barmer CEO Christoph Straub noted that uncertainty about career paths, which is currently fuelled by digital transformation, automation, and global competition, has remained one of the main sources of anxiety among young people, despite demographic shifts in the labour market.

When asked what mattered most in a future employer, 78% of respondents cited salary as their top priority, followed by recognition and appreciation (62%).