IT professionals fear obsolescence amid rapid AI integration

The IT industry is on the brink of a major transformation as generative AI becomes increasingly integral to business operations.

The IT industry is poised for a dramatic shift in skillsets as AI adoption becomes more widespread, according to a recent survey by Pluralsight, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

The survey of 1,200 executives and IT professionals in the US and UK highlights growing concerns about the impact of AI on job roles and necessary skills.

With AI increasingly integrated into technology operations, 74 per cent of IT professionals fear that many of their current skills might become obsolete. Additionally, 69 per cent worry about the potential for AI to replace their positions. Despite ongoing discussions about AI's role in enhancing job performance and productivity, 35 per cent of executives are planning to invest in AI tools to streamline operations and potentially reduce headcount.

In response to these challenges, 96 per cent of IT workers are focusing on updating their AI-related skills to secure their roles in an evolving job market.

Gartner analyst Walt Andrews underscores a critical challenge in the IT sector: "The rapid advancement of generative AI capabilities has far exceeded organizations’ ability to adapt and evolve in response." This discrepancy highlights a major issue—AI is reshaping the skills and roles essential for organizational success.

Despite recognizing that AI will transform the IT job landscape, many organizations lack a clear strategy for navigating this change. The Pluralsight survey reveals that 90 per cent of executives admit they "don’t completely understand their teams’ AI skills and proficiency," making it difficult to develop effective upskilling and reskilling strategies to meet the growing demand for AI expertise.

However, IT workers remain optimistic about their ability to adapt. The survey shows that 81 per cent of IT professionals are confident they can integrate AI into their roles, even though only 12 per cent have "significant experience working with AI."

Both IT professionals (94 per cent) and executives (95 per cent) agree on a crucial point: AI initiatives are likely to fail without staff who can effectively utilize these tools. Skills such as crafting AI prompts, managing outputs, and integrating AI into workflows will be increasingly valuable. As Andrews puts it, "Someone with these abilities will be absolutely invaluable in the coming years."