74% of IT Professionals Believe AI Will Make Them Obsolete, Survey Finds

AI’s impact on IT professionals: A recent survey by Pluralsight reveals widespread concern among IT professionals about the potential obsolescence of their skills due to advancing AI technologies.

• 74% of IT professionals express worry that AI tools will render many of their day-to-day skills obsolete, highlighting the rapid pace of technological change in the industry.
• A significant 69% of IT professionals believe they are at risk of being replaced by AI, underscoring the perceived threat to job security in the tech sector.
• Despite these concerns, 81% of IT professionals feel confident they can integrate AI into their current roles, although only 12% report having significant AI experience.

Executive perspectives and investment plans: The survey also sheds light on how executives view AI’s role in their organizations and their plans for implementation.

• 35% of executives indicate plans to invest in AI tools with the intention of eliminating unnecessary positions, suggesting a potential shift in workforce composition.
• A striking 90% of executives admit they don’t fully understand their teams’ AI skills and proficiency, pointing to a knowledge gap between leadership and staff.
• Both IT professionals (94%) and executives (95%) agree that AI initiatives are likely to fail without staff who can effectively utilize these tools, emphasizing the importance of skilled personnel.

Workforce adaptation and skill development: The survey results highlight the urgent need for IT professionals to upskill and adapt to the changing technological landscape.

• An overwhelming 96% of IT workers are prioritizing staying up to date with AI skills to enhance their job security, recognizing the importance of continuous learning.
• The growth of AI capabilities has outpaced organizations’ ability to adapt and develop the necessary skills, creating a potential skills gap in the industry.
• There is an emerging need for workers who can craft AI prompts, iterate outputs, and integrate AI into existing workflows, indicating new areas of specialization within the IT field.

Challenges and opportunities: The survey results point to both challenges and opportunities for IT professionals and organizations as AI continues to evolve.

• While there are concerns about job displacement, the need for skilled professionals who can effectively work with AI tools suggests that new roles and opportunities may emerge.
• The discrepancy between IT professionals’ confidence in integrating AI (81%) and their actual AI experience (12% with significant experience) highlights a potential overestimation of readiness for AI adoption.
• The lack of understanding among executives regarding their teams’ AI skills (90%) suggests a need for better communication and assessment of AI capabilities within organizations.

Broader implications for the IT industry: The survey results indicate a significant shift in the IT landscape as AI technologies become more prevalent.

• The high percentage of IT professionals concerned about skill obsolescence (74%) and job replacement (69%) may lead to increased investment in personal development and reskilling initiatives.
• Organizations may need to reassess their workforce strategies, balancing the potential for AI-driven automation with the need for skilled professionals who can manage and optimize these technologies.
• The IT industry may see a shift towards roles that focus on AI integration, prompt engineering, and the development of AI-enhanced workflows, creating new career paths for tech professionals.