By Gemma McHugh, October 13, 2026
Artificial intelligence is reshaping the job market Cal Poly Pomona students are preparing to enter, creating new career opportunities while raising concerns about job security and the future of traditional workplace skills.
As businesses increasingly use AI to automate tasks once performed by employees, students face questions about how to remain competitive in the evolving workforce.
CPP alumnus Logan Moray, founder of TrendSweep and member of the Anthropic Startup Program, used AI to help launch his business, which analyzes social media trends. Rather than viewing AI as a barrier to employment, Moray used the technology to help develop skills and create his own career opportunities.
Moray said AI has made it easier for people without extensive technical backgrounds to start businesses, pointing to his own experience developing software without hiring a programmer.
“I knew nothing about coding. I knew nothing about hardware before I got into AI, but AI has been a very, very useful tool in addition to my skills,” Moray said.
As businesses increasingly use AI to automate tasks and improve productivity, Moray said employers are raising expectations for workers.
Moray added the technology allows employees to accomplish more, which is also changing the skills needed to succeed in the workforce.
“It’s extremely important for everyone here in university and everyone who is looking to have a successful career in the future to understand how to use these models and how to integrate them and to use them in your work,” Moray said.
At CPP, computer science professor and AI minor coordinator Daisy Tang said AI is becoming increasingly integrated into all industries, not just computer science, making it important for students across different majors to understand how the technology works.
As students prepare to enter an increasingly AI-driven workforce, Tang described an approach called “AI plus X,” which encourages students to combine AI with their existing fields of study. For example, communication students could apply AI to content analysis and digital media, while engineering students could use it to develop products or improve existing designs.
She said AI could accelerate pharmaceutical research by helping scientists develop medications. Tang also discussed advancements in robotics, including the possibility of developing intelligent machines capable of assisting people with household responsibilities.
As AI takes on increasingly complex tasks across industries, Tang raised the concern of AI’s intellect challenging researchers.
“It’s growing smarter and smarter and maybe outpaced us,” Tang said.
California lawmakers have also taken steps to address the technology’s potential risks. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed, Senate Bill 813 authored by state Sen. Jerry McNerney, D-Pleasanton, on Sept. 9. The legislation establishes a voluntary framework for independent organizations to assess AI safety. The law takes effect Jan. 1, 2027, with it being mandatory by 2028.
McNerney said independent assessments are important because financial pressures and competing interests could influence how AI companies evaluate their own products.
For employees, these evaluations could help address concerns about the reliability and safety of AI tools used in everyday tasks.
He also emphasized the difficulty of regulating a technology that develops faster than legislation. McNerney pointed to the approximate two years it took for SB 813 to move through the legislative process and suggested specialized standards committees could respond more quickly to technological advancements.
Newsom also signed McNerney’s SB 947, the No Robo Bosses Act, on Sept. 30. The law becomes operative July 1, 2027, and prohibits California employers from relying exclusively on automated systems to fire or discipline employees and requires human oversight for those decisions.
McNerney said automated systems can make mistakes and fail to account for individual circumstances, making human oversight especially important when decisions affect someone’s livelihood.
