The pattern where effects concentrate at the ends of the skill distribution rather than spreading evenly. Previous waves of automation hollowed out middle-skill routine work while leaving both manual and high-skill work relatively intact. What is different this time is that the exposed tasks are cognitive and often sit at the graduate entry level.
Technical view
Task-based analyses suggest exposure is highest in occupations involving routine information processing and written output, which historically sat in the middle and upper-middle of the wage distribution rather than the bottom. Early field evidence shows productivity gains concentrated among less experienced workers, compressing performance distributions. The structural concern is the entry-level pipeline: if junior tasks are automated, the route by which people become senior is disrupted.
Related
Part of AI Terminology Index, section: Society and Impact.