Plus: The Pope has called for governments to regulate AI.May 26, 2026 This is today's edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what's going on in the world of technology. A reality check on the AI jobs hysteria Despite the growing hysteria over AI’s threat to white-collar jobs, there’s still scant evidence that the technology has had a large-scale impact on the labor market. Analysis of US labor data shows that unemployment in occupations most exposed to AI is actually lower than in less-exposed jobs. There are also no signs that large numbers of workers are shifting from AI-threatened professions into supposedly safer manual-labor jobs. It’s true that things aren’t great in the job market—but the question is why. Here’s what the data really says about AI and jobs.
—David Rotman Opinion: It’s time to address the looming crisis in entry-level work —Georgios Petropoulos, an assistant professor at the USC Marshall School of Business
AI has not yet produced mass unemployment. But it may be quietly weakening the first rung of the career ladder. A recent Stanford study found that young workers in AI-exposed occupations suffered a sharp decline in employment after the spread of generative AI. The same pattern didn’t appear in low-exposure jobs, suggesting AI is replacing junior tasks that once gave young workers their first foothold. It’s time to rethink how we train, prepare, and support young people entering the workforce. Read this op-ed on how job seekers, businesses, and society can adapt. The must-reads I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology. 1 The Pope has called for governments to regulate AI In his first major teaching document, Pope Leo said AI must be “disarmed.” (BBC)+ He warned that AI fuels war and misinformation. (CNN)+ But could also "open up a horizon extending in all directions.” (Engadget)+ Anthropic cofounder Chris Olah also spoke at the event. (Reuters $) 2 SpaceX has launched its biggest and most powerful rocketThe Starship V3 made its test flight debut two days after Elon Musk announced SpaceX’s IPO.(Guardian)+ SpaceX pulled off the launch, but not the landing. (Ars Technica)+ The rocket could be key to SpaceX’s valuation. (Fortune $)+ But rivals to the company are rising. (MIT Technology Review) 3 Huawei says it can make industry-leading chips within five yearsThe Chinese tech giant announced a breakthrough in chip design. (Reuters $)+ Its progress underscores Beijing's push to neutralize US sanctions. (NBC)+ Chinese chip stocks rallied after the announcement. (Bloomberg $)
