American businessman and investor Mark Cuban has advised recent college graduates to focus on small businesses rather than large corporations as artificial intelligence (AI) changes the job market.
In a post on X, Cuban reportedly said that smaller firms are expected to play a bigger role in hiring in the AI era. He reportedly pointed out that small businesses account for about 60 per cent of new jobs each year, and that advances in AI would help them compete more effectively with larger companies that have bigger technology budgets.
Cuban also acknowledged concerns about entry-level roles, with many routine tasks such as data entry, research, and content drafting increasingly handled by AI tools. According to his post, this shift has made it harder for new graduates to secure traditional junior positions at big firms, where employers are reportedly seeking candidates who can work alongside AI.
The entrepreneur explained that graduates who understand AI can offer immediate value to small companies that don’t have dedicated IT or tech teams. By helping these businesses set up and use AI agents, grads can become essential from day one — something harder to do in big firms where tech functions are already established.
Cuban’s advice, as shared on social media, was for freshers to learn AI tools and offer that expertise to smaller employers, which he described as a practical way to stand out in a challenging job market shaped by automation.