IBM to triple US entry-level hiring in 2026 and refocus roles around human interaction

IBM plans to triple entry-level hiring across the US in 2026 and will emphasise customer engagement and oversight of AI outputs; Dropbox says it will expand internship and new graduate programmes by about 25%.

IBM has announced plans to increase entry-level hiring across the United States in 2026. The company says those roles will be reshaped to emphasise customer engagement and human oversight of AI outputs. Company leaders spoke about the change at the 'Leading With AI' summit, noting that some administrative tasks may be automated while human interaction remains important. Dropbox has also reported plans to enlarge its internship and new graduate programmes. Key facts: - IBM reported plans to triple entry-level hiring in the US in 2026. - Chief HR Officer Nickle LaMoreaux said the company values human input for customer interactions and for verifying AI output. - The announcement said entry-level roles will be rewritten to share responsibilities with AI rather than be entirely automated. - IBM previously reduced staff in earlier years, including reports of 3,900 roles cut in January 2023 and about 1,000 roles in China in August 2024. - Dropbox plans to expand internship and new graduate programmes by around 25%. Summary: IBM's hiring plan shifts emphasis toward keeping early-career human roles for customer-facing tasks and oversight of AI systems. Companies are reported to be rewriting entry-level jobs so responsibilities are shared with AI. Exact job titles and the full departmental breakdown of the new hiring were not specified and remain undetermined at this time.