“I think for the industry, [AI] is actually good. But for a graduating senior — or even a junior, a sophomore computer science student now, or even graduating high school students who might want to study computer science — that’s a pretty big worry,” Kim said. “I don’t know what’s gonna happen. I don’t think anyone does. But we’ll have to adapt somehow, like always.” The fear of AI replacing jobs isn’t just affecting computer science students. As a UNC sophomore, Sarayu Thondapu has already had multiple conversations about AI’s impact on her future. Thondapu is currently studying economics and political science on the pre-law track. During her winter break at home in Charlotte, her uncle told her to be wary of AI’s potential impact on legal professions. For example, the AI program LegalGPT can perform similar tasks to legal assistants or paralegals.
