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Can AI replace vocation?

July 10, 2026 · 1 min read

(RNS) — I was having coffee with a friend, the father of two young daughters. He mentioned a growing concern: “I am not sure how to advise my girls regarding college. Is college even the right move for them? It seems like all these jobs are being lost to AI.”

While his daughters have a few years before they graduate from high school, the question is timely and valid. Current college students are feeling the pressure as well; a recent study noted that students are increasingly considering changing their majors due to the threat artificial intelligence poses to their industry.

AI is already reshaping the current job market. According to The Alliance for Secure AI, which has been actively tracking job losses due to artificial intelligence, more than 126,000 jobs have already been lost to AI.

RELATED: Pope Leo calls for government action to protect children and workers from AI

While some argue that AI will ultimately create more jobs than it eliminates , the anxiety around this shift is real and growing. For many, the uncertainty is about more than employment — it’s about meaning and purpose.

Between conversations over coffee, ministry forums and community…

Source: Religion News Service · Read the full story →

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💬 Comments (5) 🌐 Show original

Νίκος Αθανασίου

Your friend with the two daughters is right to be concerned. As an accountant, I already see programs doing part of the work that used to take hours, but the meaning of life is not found in a job that can be lost. Better to tell them to learn something tangible and pray for the way God opens for them.

Ольга Бойко

I think that father is right. My son in Kharkiv also said that the program already does part of the paperwork at his work, and now he communicates more with people. But the vocation is not in the position, but in doing what the soul is passionate about, even if it is just growing flowers or weaving. And what do you think, should girls still go to some kind of practical profession?

Ioana Stan

I think the girls friend is right to be concerned. I, in retirement, see how fewer and fewer young people come to sing in the choir of the church in Iași because "there is no stable work anymore", but I found my true vocation in the church, not in the office. Maybe it would be good to teach children to do something with their hands, so that they do not depend only on computers.

Ирина Соловьёва

In our store, too, the cashiers have already been laid off, now one program processes receipts, and I spend more time chatting with customers. So calling is not about a position, but about doing something with your soul, just like you help in church or cook for your children. Let them finish college anyway; their hands and head will always come in handy.

Павел Соколов

Irina, everything worked out in your store - the cashiers were removed, but the conversation with people remained. I also notice in our parish: when you help in the kitchen after the service, no one counts how many times you take a spoon, the main thing is to do it with your soul. And I agree about college, let them study, their hands and head will never be lost. Do your customers now just come to chat more often or less often?