AI continues to shape the technology landscape and our day-to-day lives. Many continue to use interactive bots like ChatGPT or Google Gemini as virtual assistants to answer questions and handle simple work tasks. Still, AI is quickly moving beyond these interfaces. Increasingly, people are discovering how artificial intelligence can enhance their workflows and streamline the tasks they’d rather not do.
As consumer demand for AI scales, so will the demand for qualified technologists. Companies are also eyeing how to capitalize on the movement, often to help staffers breeze through boilerplate tasks. Many view AI as the next digital frontier, akin to the dot-com boom and machine learning spike in tech hiring and upskilling. So how can tech pros capitalize on this moment? What does the next phase of tech hiring and career growth look like?
AI can’t do it all
The bad news about AI is that it will compromise some roles within tech. As some tasks rely less on human intervention as AI matures, some tech roles will become scarce and may dry up entirely. Many junior-level roles will become AI-driven, creating a perceived scarcity of jobs.
This is a misnomer, though. While the titles and roles we know today will become less available, the more accurate narrative is that the tech jobs landscape will morph to embrace AI. Where there were once 20 junior-level roles, there may soon be eight - and those eight tech pros will lean into AI for many tasks. CEOs of AI companies forecast a future where AI does just about everything humans do now, but the evidence that’s possible simply isn’t there.
A more reasonable expectation is that tech jobs will change. Job descriptions are already starting to demand that tech pros have AI skills, and many new roles are popping up specifically for working within artificial intelligence. Those lower-level roles are priming technologists for a future in which AI handles the mundane; as their careers mature, so will their AI skills.
Moreover, AI will allow humans to create and innovate again. All those passion projects we don’t have time for can be pursued; testing an interesting new feature will happen faster; more attention can be placed on products and services that are in desperate need of it.
Upskilling is essential for all technologists, and that’s never been truer. There are no Computer Science degrees that keep up with the rapid pace of tech, and none specializing in AI (yet). Even the most recent graduates will need to level up to meet the demand as artificial intelligence becomes a core skill hiring managers look for.
Disruption in the workforce, courtesy of AI
Thanks to its rapid rise to prominence and deep-pocketed supporters, many think AI is in a bubble that will pop dramatically. Artificial intelligence may be experiencing a boom, but it won’t go bust. Expect some retraction of the AI economy, but the demand for those who can use AI to expedite tasks and streamline complex workflows will always be there.
A Dice report shows that tech pros with an AI specialization see themselves as in high demand. 58 percent of this group feel their skills will help them land a new role, a 20 percent increase from the average (38 percent). Similarly, 73 percent of tech pros specializing in artificial intelligence anticipate hopping jobs soon. All told, this means tech pros already skilled in artificial intelligence think they are about to get a new job paying them more, which leaves the door open for those developing their AI skill set. Moreover, it leaves a large delta: experienced tech pros want to land foundational AI jobs, which means tech pros who want to fill the roles they vacate should master AI to become a value-added hire for the hiring company.
Many of those AI job-hoppers also want to land at big firms like Meta or Google, companies helping to build the roadmap for artificial intelligence. This tells us that lesser-known firms will have openings for tech pros looking to get into AI. Tech pros who aren’t focused on AI - but are upskilling to weave artificial intelligence into their own tech stacks - are increasingly in demand, too.
Many of the platforms technologists use daily are increasingly migrating to an AI-first workflow. GitHub Copilot, for example, allows those writing code to assign tasks to an AI sidekick by properly documenting the feature they would like it to code. Open issues in an IDE can also be assigned to Copilot, which will even test the feature to ensure it works properly before it considers the feature finished.
The future for tech jobs
AI is here, and it’s here to stay. Though nascent, the tech has already become incredibly useful in and out of the tech landscape, and a massive amount of money is being poured into research and development.
There are now two main avenues for tech: involving yourself in core AI disciplines like large language modeling, and mastering AI platforms. For most, the latter is the best option. It’s also the quickest and will make you immediately attractive to hiring managers.
Upskilling for artificial intelligence is easy, as many learning platforms like Udemy offer courses to help you master AI systems quickly. AI platforms often have publicly available documentation on how their systems work, particularly when they need to be integrated into existing tech stacks. For technologists, mastery of AI technology and platforms is critical. Though AI can replace much of the work humans once did, it still requires human oversight and intervention; those who know the most will be well-positioned for future opportunities.
Tech has always been about what’s next. We know AI is the future for productivity, and it’s being woven into the fabric of society as we know it. Technologists should be mindful of upskilling today to prepare for AI jobs they can acquire now, so they can continue shaping how we work and live for years to come.
