By Guardian staff reporter
Publication Date: 2026-02-20 14:00:00
Matthew Ramirez entered Western Governors University in 2025 as a computer science major, lured by the prospect of a high-paying, flexible programming career. But as headlines mounted about tech layoffs and AI’s potential to replace entry-level programmers, he began to wonder whether this path would actually lead to a job.
When the 20-year-old applied for a job as a data center technician in June and never received a response, his doubts deepened. In December, Ramirez decided to do what he thought was safer: to move away from computer science entirely. He gave up his planned major to apply to nursing school instead. He comes from a family of nurses and considers the field to be more stable and difficult to automate than programming.
“While AI may not be at the point where it will overtake all of these entry-level jobs, it will probably make it by the time I graduate,” Ramirez said.
Ramirez isn’t the only one reshaping his career because of fears about AI. While students like him rethink their…