In a world where Artificial Intelligence is not just shaping business strategy but reshaping the global job market, billionaire entrepreneur and ‘Shark Tank’ star Mark Cuban is offering some blunt advice to job seekers, especially the next generation entering the workforce.
“If you were looking for a job at a big company, you are not going to get it,” Cuban said during a candid moment at the All-In Summit, held in Los Angeles from September 7 to 9.
Cuban, who was speaking alongside former Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson during a joint interview, was addressing the impact of AI on hiring and workforce trends.
AI-driven automation has already been linked to more than 77,999 job losses globally in just the first half of 2025, with total tech layoffs surpassing 94,000. Projections for the coming decade suggest millions more jobs could be displaced.
Mark Cuban on big companies’ hiring strategy
Cuban’s outlook for traditional employment is sobering, particularly for college graduates aiming for roles at large corporations.
“It’s going to be tough for a graduate to land a job at a big company now because they don’t need your help with AI,” Cuban explained.
“Large companies can implement AI on their own, they have got the resources.” Instead, Cuban sees opportunity elsewhere, in the smaller, scrappier corners of the economy.
“Small to mid-sized companies need all the help they can get from AI natives,” he said. “Walking in, understanding AI, and being able to implement it for a company is a huge step forward for them. That’s where the jobs are going to be.”
In other words, today’s graduates should not aim for the top of the corporate ladder. Instead, they should look to the middle to businesses that can’t afford AI consultants but are hungry for tech-savvy problem solvers who can bring solutions directly.
Advice for the next generation
As a father of two college students himself, Cuban has more than just financial stake in the future he’s giving his kids and all of Gen Z, the same advice.
“There is no better time to be in college or just graduating than right now,” he said. “Because you have more resources available to you in your phone than anybody in the history of everything. If you want to be an entrepreneur, if you want to do whatever it is, you have every expert that’s right there available to you,” he added.
For today’s students and recent grads, Cuban’s advice is less of a warning and more of a wake-up call, Learn the tools, seek out the companies that need your knowledge, and stop chasing legacy paths that no longer exist.
