As artificial intelligence continues to impact businesses all over the world, it’s probably fair to say that one of the biggest industries to be impacted will be IT. But how will AI affect the role of developers, analysts, or engineers within the space? And could it re-shape the landscape of IT as we know it? We spoke to Ross Crosby, Recruitment Consultant at Computer Futures, to identify some of the biggest ways AI could impact the IT industry.
1. There’ll be more time to concentrate on high level, value-add tasks
Let’s address the elephant in the room – whenever artificial intelligence is mentioned, the first topic of conversation is job loss. However, for most people working in IT, it’s unlikely their job would, or even could, be fully replaced by a machine. Yes, artificial intelligence will automate numerous tasks but more often than not, these will be parts of people’s roles, not full jobs. And the demand for expert, niche skills will actually increase.
In theory, AI should allow IT professionals to become better at their jobs. By automating menial tasks, they’ll have more time to spend on high-level, value-add, project-heavy tasks; allowing developers and engineers to improve their skills, and more resources to be spent on business-critical projects. It will also free up money for companies to maximize the resource of highly skilled IT professionals, improving their offering as a result.
2. An increase in specialist skills
According to a report by the World Economic Forum, it’s predicted that the biggest emerging jobs by 2022 are expected to be Data Analysts, Data Scientists, and AI and Machine Learning Specialists. As AI enables digital transformation, it allows the role of software developers and IT professionals to become increasingly more sophisticated, and the demand for these professionals will only increase.
We’ve discussed how AI could impact our future workplace, and this will cause the demand for candidates with these skills to only increase as we enter a more AI dominated IT space, with the following skills becoming exceptionally attractive to potential employers:
3. Professionals becoming more specialist
According to Ross, “As artificial intelligence continues to impact the industry, professionals are going to need to become more specialist in their jobs. Jobs that can be automated, will be automated, and IT will become more streamlined. As the industry enhances, people with specialist knowledge and skills will become increasingly attractive.” AI Ops will likely lead to an increase in productivity within software development. As things like adapted software, speech and facial recognition, deep learning, and big data become more advanced, the demand for specialist people across this area will also grow.
Already, jobs such as Big Data and Machine Learning, are in high demand, and this will only increase. You can take a look at the opportunities we have available by accessing our job search.
4. IT companies can make better-informed decisions
Artificial Intelligence can predict the success of projects, productivity, and can save companies a lot of money. Ross expands on this, “AI will take a lot of the guesswork out of IT, removing a lot of the trial and error approach.” This frees up money for companies to invest in other resources, such as training and development. This cycle will better serve the IT pipeline for more valuable methods.
Ross predicts, “It’s likely that faith will increase and we’ll see more companies investing in IT.” AI will make IT more trusted, and more integral to business resources.
Find out about the latest opportunities we have on offer by taking a look at our Job Search page. Or, if you want to get in touch with us, then our dedicated consultants are here to offer personalized advice and find the opportunity that’s right for you.
