74% of IT pros see AI making their skills obsolete

AI’s long-term impact on the job market has sparked controversy and conversation — especially in tech. Whether AI is set to replace workers, augment jobs, or shift the necessary skillsets entirely, organizations — and IT pros alike — need to be prepared for an impending shift in how IT roles will be defined in the AI era and what skills will be needed going forward.

A recent survey from online education company Pluralsight sheds light on how 1,200 surveyed executives and IT professionals across the US and UK feel about the skills and job dynamics evolving as AI rises.

For IT pros, fear of being left behind is top of mind, as 74% of IT professionals expressed worry that AI tools will make “many of their day-to-day skills obsolete.” Moreover, 69% of IT pros believe they’re at risk of being replaced by AI.

And while there’s a lot of talk throughout the industry about how AI can augment jobs and boost productivity, the fact remains that 35% of executives say they have plans to invest in AI tools and technology to “eliminate unnecessary positions,” according to the survey.

IT workers have taken note, with 96% saying they are prioritizing “staying up to date with AI skills” to ensure better job security.

“The growth of the ability to apply generative AI has far outstripped organizations’ ability to change and grow to meet that,” said Gartner analyst Walt Andrews, spelling out a central issue: that AI is disrupting the skills and roles needed for organizations to succeed with AI.

And while IT workers and executives seem aware that AI will alter the IT job landscape, most organizations don’t have clear insight into path ahead of them. According to the survey, 90% of executives say they “don’t completely understand their teams’ AI skill and proficiency.” Without that insight, organizations will not be prepared to launch effective upskilling and reskilling strategies to meet the growing demand for AI skills.

Still, despite fears about AI’s impact on their careers, IT workers remain positive about their ability to upskill and adapt to new generative AI skillsets. Eighty-one percent of IT professionals said they “feel confident” they can integrate AI into their current roles, despite only 12% saying they have “significant experience working with AI,” according to the survey.

Where IT pros (94%) and executives (95%) see eye to eye is in the belief that AI initiatives will “fail without staff who can effectively use these tools.” For example, there will likely be a need for workers who understand generative AI prompts and how to leverage AI tools appropriately to get the desired results. 

“How to craft a prompt, how to save the prompt, how to keep the output, how to iterate the output, how to maintain access to the output, and how to fit that into the story — I think somebody with those skills is going to be absolutely invaluable over the next few years,” says Gartner’s Andrews.