It might be simplistic to draw a straight line between the emergence of generative artificial intelligence and the slowdown in graduate recruitment, but the latter has sent a shiver down spines. KPMG in the UK has slashed graduate recruitment by 33 per cent, while Deloitte has reduced its graduate hiring programme by 18 per cent. James Reed, chair of Reed, one of the world’s largest family-run recruitment firms, is pessimistic. But, almost by definition, anyone who holds on to their job in the coming AI “utopia” will not need AI for their job. It is hard to see the professional classes of south Co Dublin marching on data centres in west Dublin and burning them to the ground.

Source: The Irish Times January 07, 2026 12:11 UTC