Peter Thiel says AI threatens STEM careers more than creative roles, as LinkedIn data shows rising demand for communications and storytelling skills

Palantir cofounder Peter Thiel stated in a 2024 interview that 'it seems much worse for the math people than the word people' as AI advances, arguing that math skills as a bar to entry in fields like medicine will fall out of fashion.

LinkedIn's 2026 skills study found that communication, leadership, and people management are among the most sought-after skills, with job postings mentioning 'storytellers' doubling over the last year. Companies including Anthropic and Netflix are offering $400,000 to $1.2 million in starting salaries for senior communications roles.

Computer engineering ranks as the major with the second-highest unemployment rate among recent college graduates at 7.8%, according to New York Federal Reserve data, while some STEM fields like aerospace engineering (2.2%) and engineering technologies (1.7%) fall below the 3.1% average for all college graduates.