Half of Scottish teenagers say AI has made them rethink career goals, survey finds

Half of teenagers in Scotland say artificial intelligence (AI) has already made them rethink their career goals, a study has found.

The research, commissioned by Glasgow Kelvin College to mark National Opportunity Day 2026, found that 55% of Scottish teenagers are actively looking to learn skills they believe cannot be done by AI.

School pupils were asked which careers they considered to be ‘AI-proof’, with practical and people-focused professions dominating answers.

Plumber topped the list (31%), followed by electrician (30%), hairdresser or barber (30%), nurse (29%), mechanic (27%) and social worker (27%). Chef (26%), engineer (26%), joiner (23%) and teacher (23%) also featured prominently. Just 1.7% said they believed no career was AI-proof.

Half said the technology has already made them rethink their career goals, while 60% said they were excited to learn skills that work alongside AI.

The survey found that half of teenagers use AI tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Snapchat AI and Copilot at least once a day Adobe Stock

The survey found that 54% of surveyed teenagers believed AI represents an opportunity for their career prospects, and 55% said they know it will affect their future but are not worried about it.

At the same time, 56% said they were worried about its impact on their career prospects, and the same proportion believed it could make finding a job harder.

“What stands out from these findings is just how switched on young people are to AI and the impact it is likely to have on their future,” Robin Ashton, vice principal of curriculum and quality enhancement at Glasgow Kelvin College, said.

“They aren’t simply using the technology; many are already thinking about where it can help them, where they need to rely on their own abilities and, importantly, which human skills are likely to become more valuable as AI develops.”

The findings come as artificial intelligence increasingly affects both education and the world of work young people will enter after leaving school.

In addition to career goals and skills, the survey also found that 50% of the 13 to 18-year-old respondents pay for a premium AI service – a sign of the value teenagers place on the technology.

Almost two-thirds (63%) said the rise of AI had made them question things they see online more often, while 56% believe they are good at spotting AI use in pictures, social media or writing.

The survey also found AI tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Snapchat AI and Copilot are now a routine part of teenage life, with half using AI at least once a day, including 9% who use it three or more times daily.

Respondents said they use the technology for a wide range of purposes, with almost a third (32%) using AI to find information or answer everyday questions, while 29% use it for homework or schoolwork, and 26% use it to revise for exams (26%).

The findings come as artificial intelligence increasingly affects both education and the world of work young people will enter after leaving school. Adobe Stock

Others said they use AI to generate creative ideas such as art, music or stories (24%), for help writing emails or messages (21%), and coding or computer programming (20%).

Mr Ashton said the findings show young people are already thinking seriously about what AI means for their education, skills and careers.

“There is sometimes a tendency to talk about young people as though AI is something happening to them, but these findings paint a more nuanced picture,” he said.

“This is a generation growing up with technology and learning how to navigate it.

“That doesn’t mean there aren’t challenges – young people themselves recognise the risks of becoming over-reliant on AI and are concerned about what it could mean for employment – but they are also questioning what they see online, thinking about when AI is useful and considering how their own skills will need to evolve.”

He said this is where colleges have an “increasingly important” role to play.

“Glasgow Kelvin College gives people the opportunity to develop the practical, technical and interpersonal skills employers need, while also learning how emerging technologies can complement those skills,” Mr Ashton added.

The survey, conducted by independent insights agency Opinion Matters, surveyed a sample of 517 teenagers at Scottish schools aged 13–18.

National Opportunity Day was created by Glasgow Kelvin College to raise awareness of education, training and career pathways, and to encourage people to explore options they may not previously have considered.