Introduction
The tech job market is undergoing a radical transformation. Mike Krieger, Chief Product Officer at Anthropic and Instagram co-founder, recently made statements confirming a troubling trend: AI companies are systematically eliminating entry-level positions.
During an interview on the Silicon Valley Girl podcast, Krieger admitted that Anthropic "tends not to hire fresh college grads," revealing how artificial intelligence is replacing tasks traditionally performed by junior employees.
Anthropic's Hiring Strategy
Anthropic has adopted a selective approach that almost completely excludes fresh graduates. Krieger clearly explained this position: "We haven't had a summer internship program so we've tended less to hire the like kind of fresh college grads."
This strategy reflects a broader trend across the tech industry. Computer science graduates are facing 6.1% unemployment in 2025, nearly double the rate of philosophy majors, as companies increasingly eliminate entry-level positions.
The company exclusively seeks experienced people who can immediately solve complex problems. "You want people that are going to be defined more about the problems that they want to solve and how they can creatively solve them than a very specific 'I know JavaScript and I'm going to do work in this exact environment.'"
How AI Has Replaced Junior Tasks
The evolution of AI within Anthropic has been rapid and transformative. Krieger described how AI models have progressed from simple assistants to true collaborators.
"Last year and early this year, these AI models were basically assistants that helped with one question or task at a time," Krieger explained, referring to Claude.
The progression has been dramatic: "This year they're moving more into collaborators where especially if you watch somebody use Claude Code for example they're actually delegating what would have taken them maybe 20-30 minutes and Claude's going off and doing it and then you're checking in and you're more on the sort of validating or verifying work."
Practical AI Usage at Anthropic
Krieger provided concrete examples of how his company uses AI instead of human workers. For Claude Code development, he revealed: "For our products that are sort of the closest to being written so Claude Code for example they're doing almost entirely the development of that is using Claude to develop Claude."
A particularly significant example involves executive productivity: "I launched our Claude for Chrome just it was earlier this week and I had a little bit of time on a business trip and I said 'Oh I have two hours free what am I going to do?' I was like 'I'm going to contribute to this thing that I know we're shipping in a couple of weeks.'"
When executives can contribute to complex products in just two hours using AI tools, the need for junior developers becomes questionable.
Timeline for Further Job Displacement
Krieger wasn't vague about when AI will handle complete job functions. He provided specific timeframes for different types of work during the interview.
"I think that is within you know it depends a little bit on the discipline with coding sort of tasks i think within the year we'll start seeing Claude be able to do those things and I think in some of these other disciplines maybe it's more like two or three years but it's not wildly far away," he stated.
The New Business Model
Krieger described entrepreneurs who exemplify the new approach to staffing. "I was actually talking to a fellow friend who's a second or third time founder and he was telling me he's like 'Mike I'm really glad you launched Claude Max because Claude is my product manager Claude is my lawyer Claude is my you know founder therapist as well.'"
This entrepreneur uses AI for multiple job functions: "What he does is he has a Claude project for each of those disciplines," Krieger explained.
Skills That Still Matter
Despite promoting AI adoption, Krieger offered advice for people trying to remain relevant in the changing job market.
For parents worried about their children's future, he emphasized fundamental thinking skills: "One is talked a little bit before about being curious and observant about the world that remains really powerful."
He also stressed systems thinking over specific technical skills: "And I think the other one that should remain constant like there was a lot of energy around like learn to code everybody should learn to code and I think too many people interpreted that as like you should learn Python and it's like yes you can learn Python that's going to be helpful through to some things but more than that it's can you think in terms of systems can you think systematically."
The Reality for Fresh Graduates
Krieger's statements expose the brutal reality facing fresh graduates. Tech executives complain they can't find qualified workers while simultaneously eliminating every path to becoming qualified.
Anthropic won't hire fresh graduates because they lack experience. But where exactly are these graduates supposed to get experience when companies refuse to train them? The entry-level jobs that used to provide that training are increasingly automated.
For the thousands of computer science graduates entering the job market this year, the message is clear: you're on your own. The industry that spent decades telling people to "learn to code" has decided it no longer needs people who are learning.
Conclusion
Anthropic's strategy represents a turning point in the tech industry. The companies building the future have decided that future doesn't include training the next generation. They'll use the talent they have until it runs out, then wonder why there's nobody left to replace them.
This trend raises fundamental questions about the sustainability of the tech sector and the future of careers in the age of artificial intelligence.
FAQ
Why doesn't Anthropic hire fresh graduates?
Anthropic prefers to hire experienced people who can immediately solve complex problems rather than invest in training fresh graduates. The company seeks candidates defined by the problems they want to solve rather than specific technical skills.
How does Anthropic's AI replace entry-level jobs?
Claude AI has evolved from a simple assistant to a full collaborator, handling tasks that required 20-30 minutes of human work. AI models can now develop complex code and contribute directly to company products.
When will AI completely replace junior roles in tech?
According to Mike Krieger, for coding tasks AI will be able to completely replace junior roles within a year. For other disciplines, the timeline is 2-3 years.
What skills are needed to work at Anthropic in 2025?
Anthropic looks for people who prototype ideas in their spare time and bring them to the interview process. The company values curiosity, systems thinking, and creative problem-solving over specific technical skills.
How can fresh graduates compete with AI in the job market?
Krieger suggests developing curiosity and observational skills, along with systems thinking. It's more important to think systematically than to know specific programming languages like Python.
What are the consequences of eliminating entry-level roles in AI?
The systematic elimination of entry-level roles creates a paradox: companies require experience but don't offer opportunities to gain it. This approach risks creating a long-term shortage of qualified talent.