Is AI Killing IT Jobs Faster Than We Think?
A couple of years ago, Artificial Intelligence (AI) seemed to have been adapted straight out of a sci-fi film. Nowadays, it is all around us, on our phones, or in our work places, and even at home. AI is transforming the way people live and work and this can be seen in the way we write emails and help doctors diagnose.
And here is the question that everybody is saying:
"Will AI kill IT jobs too fast?"
All right, then, what about it? I have to say that I am seeing the light on both sides of the issue when operating in the IT business with friends. Others are enthusiastic. People are concerned about others. We will take it a bit at a time as we are having a normal conversation over some tea.
What Exactly Is AI Doing in the IT Industry?
AI can be as the new office intern-but can work 24 hours every single day, without taking a break and can learn in a short period. It can:
- Write standards code (yes, even more standards than some juniors)
- The test software rapidly
- Excavate large volumes of data in few seconds
- Automate the customer support Bring back the television commercials to Direct Marketing tools.
- Survey security of monitor systems
Just think what it will be like when one tool can do all this. There is no wonder that one is twice thinking whether companies need so many people or not.
The Quiet Disappearance of Roles
An example is my friend Karthik who was in manual testing about 6 years. One day, he heard that now his job could be done with less error by a new automation tool. Around two months, his team got halved.
Karthik is not the only one. Throughout India, most of the mid-level employees in such jobs as:
- Test de interface Manual QA Testing
- Rudimentary front-end
- Tech support
- Data entry
...are experiencing a shrinking opportunity.
All these roles are gradually becoming phased out. And what makes it worse is that... It is not always clear until it occurs.
Is AI the Villain Here?
Not exactly.
AI is not out to take away jobs. It is fulfilling its purpose, to speed things up and to streamline. The actual problem lies in the fact that the IT industry did not help us cope with this dynamics.
We were told most of us:
"Study Java, become a service firm, get established."
The rules are different now. Learning is no longer a one off activity. The changing world of IT is that fast and you have to keep on learning just not to be ahead of yourself.
Where are the Jobs that are Safe?
The good news is that not all jobs will be taken over by AI. It is just putting up an automation of most of the time consuming work. When your job is based on creativity, strategy or emotional intelligence, you are not disposable either.
Safe (at least at the moment) jobs:
- UX/UI Designers
- Business Analysts
- Cybersecurity Experts
- Product Managers
- Machine Learning/AI Devs
- Cloud Architects
- Ethical Hackers
And even authors (and writers, and me!) are starting to learn how to collaborate with AI rather than being afraid of it.
So, What Should You Do?
What I say to my cousins who are studying or working in IT is as follows:
1. Upskill Constantly
Do not cease learning. They can be assisted with such educational platforms as Coursera, Udemy, or even YouTube. Hot skills to pay attention to include:
- AI/ML basics
- AWS cloud servers, Azure, GCP cloud servers
- Data Science
- DevOps
- Cybersecurity
2. After creating a portfolio, the next steps are:
The organizations are no longer interested in your age of experience but what they can achieve through you. Tell us what you are working on, GitHub, blogs or personal projects.
3. Not Just Code, Networked
Talk to your people. Go to meet ups, webinars, LinkedIn groups. The knowledge of a right person can turn more doors in comparison to your resume sometimes.
4. To Your Advantage Use AI
Don not insist to fight AI, instead learn how to cooperate with it. Such tools as GitHub Copilot or ChatGPT can even make you more productive.
It Is Not AI That Is the Problem - It Is Lack of Preparation
The reality is that AI is not going to steal your job. However, a person who understands the functioning of AI is likely to do so.
That is what is really happening. It is not a human versus machine deal. It is about adaptation. The IT industry is evolving, that is true. Nevertheless, the opportunities are not over yet, you just have to be willing to change.
Before You Go…
When the above article gives you something to ponder, do share the same with your friends, or colleagues, or that cousin who is yet to find a job. Someone had to read and probably someone needed to hear this.
And, should you be seeking more friendly, honest versions of what is actually going down in the tech world, you can subscribe to our blog. We dumb down complicated things so it is in simple conversations like this one.
Who knows, let us continue learning, changing, and developing one another. The next big thing in IT is not the robot. It is human beings who learn to work smart.
From my vantage point working with CISOs and tech leaders, the picture is nuanced:
ReplyDeleteYes, AI is disrupting traditional IT roles—especially entry-level, repetitive ones. But it’s also creating a demand shift: from task-doers to context-aware thinkers, orchestrators, and risk-aware decision makers.
What we lose in headcount, we must replace with capability especially in fields like cybersecurity, where AI can be both a productivity booster and a threat amplifier.
The real question isn’t “Will AI kill IT jobs?”
It’s: Are we upskilling fast enough to stay employable and secure in the AI age?
Yes; I really agree with you; your point of view is quite accurate. It is not a shift to get automated but a shift to get elevated, or in other words, a shift form routine executing functions to strategic, context based roles.
DeleteEven more, in the case of cybersecurity, which you rightly noted, AI is a two-edged sword. It has the potential to enhance its response times and threat detection by incredible margins, however, it is also being introduced with new attack surfaces and advanced threats.
The necessity of upskilling no longer is optional, but has become the new standard. The technological change is fast, and individuals and organisations require creating adaptive and AI-literate teams.
It is a nice clear up of this subtle truth- such talks can guide the industry to progress. Thanks again for sharing your thoughts—really appreciate your comment.