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5 min read T&S Insider

Where are tomorrow’s T&S experts coming from?

As AI transforms how Trust & Safety work gets done, it’s also quietly dismantling the career paths that got many of us here. This week, a T&S Insider reader asks what to do when all the entry-level roles disappear.

I'm Alice Hunsberger. Trust & Safety Insider is my weekly rundown on the topics, industry trends and workplace strategies that Trust & Safety professionals need to know about to do their job.

This week, I'm thinking about the future of T&S, specifically around the talent gap that may occur if we get rid of all the entry-level jobs.

Get in touch if you'd like your questions answered or just want to share your feedback. And thanks to everyone who sent kind messages about last week's edition — it's always super helpful to know what resonates.

Here we go! — Alice

The disappearing rungs of the T&S career ladder

Why this matters: As automation reshapes T&S teams, the entry-level roles that once served as a training ground for future safety leaders are rapidly disappearing. Without these foundational experiences, we risk losing the institutional knowledge and skills that are vital for online integrity work. Building alternative pathways — for example, certification and formal higher education — is not optional; it's how we futureproof the field.

A T&S Insider reader recently wrote in with a question:

I've got two recent college grads in my family and jobs are hard to find. this is true in T&S too, and I wonder... what is the future of T&S going to look like if there are no more entry-level roles? Where will "experienced" people come from in 5-10 years if they can't get jobs now?

Now, first off, I realise I'm part of the problem. Why? I spent 20 years climbing a ladder that I’m now helping to dismantle. Allow me a brief trip down memory lane.

Why replicating my career is impossible

My career started with volunteer content moderation at 19, moved to freelance moderation of dating profiles at 25, and culminated in becoming a VP of Trust & Safety at a well-known public company by 39. This was back in the "wild west" of the early internet, when we built the plane while flying it. Each step was a lesson in pattern recognition, adversarial thinking, and decision-making without precedent.

Today, at 41, I work at a 15-person AI startup, where I'm doing the work of several people (product, policy, marketing, and strategy). Not only is my work enabled by AI but we’re building AI-enhanced tools that automate the very entry-level jobs that gave me the experience to get where I am. The irony is not lost on me.

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Published by:

Alice Hunsberger

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