Mark Cuban says these 10 college majors could struggle most in the AI economy

If you're struggling to pick a major, it may be because you're unsure which of the many available options could still lead to a stable career that builds real wealth in the age of AI. According to billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban, your degree matters less than your ability to use AI as a tool rather than compete against it.

Cuban has repeatedly argued that AI is most likely to replace workers who refuse to adapt, rather than eliminating entire careers. As the machines take over more routine cognitive tasks, graduates entering certain fields may face greater pressure than others to develop skills machines struggle to replicate.

Recent research supports Cuban's view. A 2026 study from Anthropic analyzed millions of AI interactions and found that occupations involving routine information processing are among those most exposed to AI automation.

Here are 10 college majors that could encounter the greatest headwinds in the AI-driven economy.

1. General business administration

As one of the country's most popular majors, business administration continues to attract talent. However, many entry-level responsibilities are becoming automated.

AI tools handle tasks such as preparing reports, organizing data, creating presentations, analyzing spreadsheets, and drafting routine communications in minutes rather than hours.

Far from suggesting that business graduates are obsolete, this means you should focus on leadership skills, strategic thinking, negotiation abilities, and expertise using AI as a productivity tool rather than relying solely on traditional office skills.

2. Journalism

AI already summarizes news, writes earnings reports, generates sports recaps, and drafts first versions of articles. The Anthropic research found that writing-intensive occupations are among the most heavily affected by AI. After all, many routine drafting tasks are compatible with current language models.

On the other hand, journalists who embrace AI for research while focusing on investigative and original reporting, conducting interviews, understanding cultural context, and exercising editorial judgment may become especially valuable to employers.

3. Marketing research

Many marketing companies use AI to analyze surveys, consumer data, and industry trends.

Graduates who only have the skills to gather and organize information may face increasing competition from AI systems. Those who specialize in interpreting consumer psychology, developing creative strategies, and making business recommendations are likely to remain in high demand.

4. Information management

Traditionally, information management professionals have organized records, maintained documentation, and classified information. Many of these tasks are now the purview of AI, which excels at document classification, semantic search, and summarization.

To stand out, graduates may need strong technical expertise in AI governance, cybersecurity, compliance, or data quality.

5. Data processing or information systems support

AI already handles many routine data processing responsibilities, from cleaning data to performing repetitive analyses and identifying inconsistencies.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics signals that demand for data professionals is unlikely to decrease. Employers value skills such as interpreting results, designing analytical frameworks, supervising AI systems, and translating findings into business decisions. Simply processing information doesn't cut it anymore.

6. Administrative studies

If you're enrolling in an office administration or administrative management program, you may consider a career in scheduling, document preparation, recordkeeping, or internal communications. Unfortunately, these are the easiest tasks for AI to streamline and automate.

Graduates who demonstrate expertise in project management, customer relationship management, and operations strategy stand out as strong candidates for an admin position.

7. English

An English degree isn't inherently vulnerable, but many graduates choosing this major want to pursue copywriting, editing, content marketing, publishing, or communications. All these fields now expect AI literacy.

While this may come as a surprise to many, it must be said that writing itself isn't dying. However, routine writing alone is becoming less of a competitive advantage.

8. Library and information science

You may be drawn to library and information science because you have strong organizational skills and you enjoy cataloging and document retrieval.

Modern AI systems easily perform these tasks automatically. The human value may come from learning to build instructional skills, becoming familiar with scripting or SQL, and considering nontraditional career paths such as health care or government. Specializing in archives or special collections is another path to success.

9. Political science

Skills like policy judgment, negotiation, diplomacy, and public leadership are valuable for many careers and worth pursuing by picking political science as your major.

Still, many entry-level policy analysis and government support roles include research and drafting tasks such as policy summaries, legislative tracking, and report writing, which AI may perform better.

10. History

Many history graduates enter careers involving research, archives, education support, policy analysis, museums, or writing. They need to be wary of AI's advances in summarizing historical sources, synthesizing documents, and organizing research.

Their long-term advantage lies less in summarizing information and more in interpretation, historical context, and original scholarship.

Expert perspective

The Anthropic study emphasizes that AI isn't replacing entire occupations overnight. Instead, it automates specific tasks within jobs, allowing workers to focus on higher-value work requiring judgment, creativity, collaboration, and interpersonal communication.

That aligns closely with Cuban's broader message: AI is becoming another workplace tool, much like computers or the internet before it. Learn how to use it effectively, and you're ahead of the game.

Bottom line

Choosing one of these majors doesn't automatically place graduates at a disadvantage. In many cases, these fields are evolving rather than disappearing.

The bigger question is whether students graduate with skills that complement AI rather than compete with it. Domain expertise, critical thinking, communication, creativity, and AI literacy often separate resilient careers from vulnerable ones. As Cuban has argued, the people most likely to get ahead financially in the AI economy must learn to adapt as technology evolves.