Young French people fleeing artificial intelligence are turning to crafts

The widespread adoption of generative artificial intelligence in business processes and the turn of young professionals who do not want to fight against AI towards crafts has become a notable trend in France. Apolline Jude, a 24-year-old career changer at a bakery near Paris, left behind her studies in law and communication to obtain a pastry certificate and began working full-time in the field.

Apolline Jude, 24, who works at a bakery in the western Paris suburb of Puteaux, stated that she distanced herself from the legal field after being asked to write an article using the AI tool ChatGPT while interning at a law firm. Having abandoned her education in law and communication to earn a pastry certificate through a vocational training program, Jude signed a permanent contract at the bakery in September. Jude stated that she earns the net monthly minimum wage of 1,689 euros but goes to work happily.

The widespread integration of artificial intelligence in workplaces nearly four years after its emergence in late 2022 has increased interest in fields such as culinary and manual arts. According to a LinkedIn-Censuswide study published in December 2025, 63 percent of individuals aged 18 to 28 stated that they preferred a hands-on career they could do with their hands rather than office jobs. While 65 percent of young people believe that technical and manual tasks carry more meaning, more than 67 percent rejected the idea of being stuck behind a screen answering emails.