AI erodes junior digital jobs

BarcelonaThe adoption of artificial intelligence in the Catalan technology sector is already beginning to take its toll on the workforce, especially among the youngest. According to the latest report Digital talent overview, developed by the Mobile World Capital Barcelona Foundation, the offers for junior workers among ICT companies in Barcelona fell by almost 27% in 2025 The survey, it must be said, coincides with the digital talent director's assessment: professionals in the sector use AI to carry out tasks traditionally assigned to new hires. More than 74% report using chatbots to draft documentation related to code; a similar ratio to those who use them to create explanations of already operational code. They also highlight assistance in development or making small additions to developed applications and websites.

For Arrufí, the situation is not yet critical. "There are still opportunities for those who train in engineering," he assures. However, he acknowledges that there is a "bottleneck" that makes the first professional steps difficult for many profiles. The sector in general warns that a model based on the exclusive hiring of mid-level and experienced profiles is "unsustainable." In conversation with the newspaper ARA, the executive director of the technology employers' association Tech Barcelona, Miquel Martí, warns that "it would be risky to cheerfully dispense with people" to replace them with AI tools. "It is normal for some jobs to be amortized, that is part of the adoption." But a long-term approach forces the maintenance of the flow of recently trained workers. "If there are no juniors, where will we get future seniors from?" Martí asks.

"Redefine" job roles

Arrufí assures, in conversation with the ARA, that all industry players "are aware" of the problem posed by a gap in the junior segment of the workforce. "Companies and talent hunters in the sector warn that previously 10% of interns became employees, and now only 5% do," reports the executive. Barcelona's digital world executives "know this is not sustainable in the long term" and are looking to universities and administrations to offer solutions that guarantee talent transfer. The MWCapital representative, however, calls for structural proposals that address the entire market. "Individual solutions don't work, because companies will seek short-term efficiency, and this doesn't fit with young people who will take time to become productive," he opines.

For Martí, the entire technological fabric will have to contribute to "redefining" technological jobs around AI. "In some cases, productivity does increase, and there may be a temptation to downsize the workforce," reflects the executive director. Nevertheless, companies will have to specify exactly "what work" artificial intelligence does; whether it is of sufficient quality to guarantee a certain autonomy, or what kind of oversight should be applied to its results. This new demand, however, will necessarily have to be met by well-trained workers.

In this regard, Arrufí listed several solutions during the report's presentation, although none of them are yet fixed. Among them, he highlighted "recovering the figure of the apprentice" for digital jobs or directing specialized training offers towards the new demands that artificial intelligence brings to the table. "It is obvious to everyone that programmers will need different skills, and different training will need to be offered," reflected the expert. Be that as it may, in Martí's view, "if organizations are not capable of understanding that they will always be based on people, they will be left without an expert resource".