After months of endless nights spent applying for countless positions, there is finally a glimmer of hope. Amidst the chaos of the tech industry all the hard work has finally paid off, but there is one slight problem. After walking through the double doors of a new job, there seems to be an uncomfortable lack of humans in the human resources department.
It’s hard to pinpoint the exact moment when Idaho’s tech industry completely changed. In the next decade, Idaho will become a leading player in the national race for chip manufacturing, giving our once rural state the power to evolve into a technology dominated hub that promises new opportunities and struggles for the incoming workforce.
In August, Micron announced their $50 billion dollar expansion in Idaho. The work will be responsible for the creation of two brand new memory chip fabrication plants, fueling the demand for high powered memory chips necessary to better the functionality of pre-existing artificial intelligence.
The plants are predicted to create over 17,000 new jobs according to Micron. This influx may seem like an increase in job opportunities for incoming graduates, but the reality is that the emergence of artificial intelligence has left limited entry-level positions incredibly competitive.
Micron’s company is not only assisted by AI, but this intelligence is the primary reason for the company’s expansion. The Institute of Internet Economics found that major tech companies have decreased their entry-level job opportunities by over 50% since 2019 with no chances of slowing down. Not only has this dwindled opportunities for students, but it’s made positions and internships at Micron much more competitive.
Seiya Nozawa-Temchenko is one of many college graduates who found trouble applying for in-state positions. With a degree in applied science in electrical engineering, he now works as a computer engineer central at Micron in Boise.
Nozawa-Temchenko says, “I applied to about 200 jobs, some were reference but most were cold applications. I interviewed for around 20 of them, but most I got completely ghosted.”
What Nozawa-Temchenko experienced is becoming increasingly common in the tech industry with limited jobs and competitive applications. The only way to guarantee an interview at any major tech corporation is to continue applying to countless positions.
“Today it’s a numbers game,” he states.
Plans to invest in Idaho’s economy are great, but we must turn our attention towards the countless graduates who are active members of this economy. With a diminishing amount of local job opportunities, graduate students may face a harsh reality after graduation. Alumni Sara Martinez Soto graduated with a bachelors in computer science. Now she works from home as an application developer.
“There has been a lot of growth in the area over the years,” Martinez explains. “Moving closer to where I work doesn’t feel like an option given the high housing prices.”
In the past year, the average rent in Boise has risen 7.9% over the past 12 months and 13.6% since the start of 2026 according to a report done by ApartmentList.com. These numbers are signs of increased growth and threaten to price students out of their own hometown. Many alumni like Martinez struggle finding proactive opportunities in a market saturated with artificial intelligence and a lack of entry-level jobs.
Idaho’s ability to support a massive tech company like Micron comes from the hundreds of graduate students who continue to work at these companies. When we lose sight of the individuals who spend years of their life studying to stimulate our economy, we forget the foundation on which the tech industry was built on.
Sadie Fisch, a computer science major, is one of many students entering the university with a few concerns.
“Primarily, my concerns are in terms of ethics because of AI expansion. While AI has its positive uses, because of the society we live in, it will be used to further shift the balance of power into the wealthy elites.” Fisch demonstrates concern with the industry, explaining that this intelligence is going to replace more jobs than it creates.
Nevertheless, both students and alumni have found that adapting to this new industry is their only viable option. Regardless of our relationship with artificial intelligence and the countless ethical dilemmas we encounter, AI has proven countless times, it’s here to stay.
Benjamin McCoubrey, a major in cyber operations and resilience, explains how he manages the duality of artificial intelligence. “It’s innovation and the way it goes naturally… there’s always going to be a need for human intervention along the way.”
McCoubrey explains artificial intelligence’s path in technology is something that we must learn to work alongside if we hope to move towards innovation in Idaho. The ethical concerns and impacts artificial intelligence has on the next generation are not going away. Students and alumni must now work harder than ever to prove their valuable assets as humans.
As the world of technology continues to expand, it’s easy to forget the hands that forged artificial intelligence into its place. Human developers and analysts like the students at Boise State are a valuable part of Idaho’s tech community and without their intelligence, Micron wouldn’t be in the position it holds.
