It’s all part of the radical ways entry-level work is changing, and disappearing. At 5.7% in June, unemployment among recent college graduates hovers close to its highest level in five years, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Entry-level roles in fields heavily exposed to AI, like software developers and customer-service representatives, are shrinking the most, data from the Stanford Digital Economy Lab and payroll processor ADP show.

Early evidence suggests simulated reps help. A Stanford Law School lab looking at AI in legal services tried a negotiation simulator with summer associates from the global law firm Dechert. One group didn’t have access to the tool; the other spent two hours a week on the platform, where they interacted with AI agents posing as attorneys specialized in different parts of the merger & acquisition process.

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