AI skills are now a core requirement in IT
We’re not inching toward an AI-driven world, we’re already in it. For IT professionals, this isn’t optional anymore. According to recent research from the AI Workforce Consortium, 78% of IT job postings across G7 nations now explicitly require AI skills. That includes roles like software engineers, AI and machine learning developers, cloud specialists, and data engineers. These aren’t edge cases, they’re the fastest-growing roles in tech.
Here’s the real takeaway: AI mastery has moved into the “expected” column alongside baseline competencies like software proficiency and code versioning. Executives can’t afford to view AI as a future investment or side project. The talent landscape has shifted under our feet. If your team doesn’t have a plan to build or acquire this expertise, you’re already behind.
Also important to note is that it’s not just about algorithms and code. Human capabilities, like leadership, communication, and ethical reasoning, now share the spotlight. That’s happening because deploying AI isn’t just technical; it’s also strategic. Engineers and product teams working on AI applications make decisions that shape how businesses function and scale. Companies are no longer hiring for narrow job specs, they’re hiring for interdisciplinary thinkers who understand digital systems and human dynamics.
If your recruitment pipeline is still filtered by outdated skill matrices, it’s time to update. AI fluency must be treated as standard, not elite, and built into every dimension of the business. We’re already in the next phase.
The skills gap is widening, fast
AI isn’t just creating new categories of work, it’s eliminating others in real time. According to the World Economic Forum, 83 million jobs are projected to be automated by 2027. That’s a significant shakeout. But here’s where it gets complex: about 698 million new roles will also be created. The problem is, the people losing their old jobs often aren’t qualified for the ones replacing them.
Yasmin Weiß, a professor focused on AI in the workplace, puts it simply: workers without modern AI literacy will be viewed in 2030 the same way someone applying today without computer skills is viewed, not serious candidates. To put it another way, small tweaks to resume skills won’t help. We’re talking about reskilling from the ground up. A data-entry clerk can’t upskill their way into a machine learning engineering role in a few weeks. Whole learning pathways, supported by deep educational investment, must be built.
That means leadership needs to rethink workforce development from scratch. Don’t bet on scaling through traditional upskilling tactics, they’re not designed for this magnitude of change. What’s required is a deeper cultural shift, where people are trained to adopt entirely new professional identities multiple times throughout their careers.
Younger teams will be more adaptable, but even they need purpose-built development frameworks. Meta-skills like adaptability, rapid learning, and openness to new domains now matter more than static qualifications. Build those into organization structures and career models. Prepare your people not just to survive disruption, but to lead through it. Businesses that make this shift early will control the next growth cycle. Everyone else gets to follow.
AI-Powered tools are reshaping how people learn at scale
AI isn’t just rewriting jobs, it’s rewriting how we learn to perform them. The integration of AI into education and training is accelerating, giving companies and individuals access to learning systems that are faster, personalized, and far more scalable. We’re not talking about generalized content delivery. With tools like AI-driven chatbots and adaptive learning platforms, workers can now access skill development that’s targeted to their individual capability gaps, career goals, and pace of progression.
Yasmin Weiß, a professor focused on AI in the modern workplace, points out that learners today can self-direct their upskilling journeys more effectively than ever. They’re no longer limited by traditional classroom structures or generic training modules. Instead, they gain real-time feedback, explore knowledge more contextually, and connect learning directly back to job relevance. These kinds of tools didn’t exist just a few years ago. Now, they’ll define how future workforces are built.
Christian Korff, VP of Services, Strategy, and Planning for EMEA at Cisco, confirms this shift is already underway. He points to a surge in demand for learning and development roles across English-speaking markets, a clear signal that organizations understand the urgency. Companies investing in these capabilities are placing their bets on autonomy, speed, and precision over outdated training platforms or top-down content dumps.
For C-suite executives, that demands serious investment decisions. If education infrastructure in your organization depends on legacy tools or uniform training paths, you’re limiting your ability to evolve. What the data makes clear is that learning development isn’t a cost center, it’s now a growth enabler. And if your market is lagging behind on this front, start hiring, building, or partnering now to fix that.
Entry-level roles are disappearing, and that needs a rethink
The lowest rungs of the corporate ladder are eroding. Entry-level jobs, once the launchpad for most careers, are being automated across key industries. Law, software, and consulting firms are streamlining junior roles by redirecting basic tasks to machine learning systems and process automation. These aren’t theoretical shifts; hiring data confirms a real downturn in postings for early-career candidates.
Professor Yasmin Weiß highlights a clear consequence: companies can’t just eliminate junior roles and hope skill-building happens organically. In many firms, these were the roles that helped employees build foundational domain knowledge. That knowledge doesn’t just transfer itself; it needs new formats, or it disappears. So if entry-level profiles are going to change, they need to change with purpose.
That doesn’t mean companies should freeze hiring. It means redesigning those first career steps to center on cognitive depth, contextual problem-solving, and system-level thinking, not repetitive task completion. Entry-level talent is still essential, but the work they do must be recalibrated for value.
For leaders, this shift requires clear systems thinking. You can’t expect AI to take over administrative work while leaving capability development untouched. If emerging professionals aren’t being challenged with meaningful tasks, their career velocity, and your long-term pipeline, stall out. Instead of simply trimming entry points, companies must design new ones. Build new early-career roles aligned with strategic thinking and digital literacy. Stop retrofitting old job descriptions around new systems. Start shaping roles around where the technology, and the business, are heading.
Younger professionals aren’t a lost generation, they’re the next strategic move
There’s been a lot of noise lately about shrinking opportunities for young professionals. Yes, entry-level roles are being restructured due to automation. Yes, companies are prioritizing experienced hires to implement emerging tech. But no, we’re not watching a lost generation unfold. In fact, the opposite is true, if leadership is paying attention.
Christian Korff, VP of Services, Strategy, and Planning for EMEA at Cisco, is clear on this. While there’s a short-term tilt toward seasoned professionals to drive AI rollouts, a demographic shift is building momentum. Many experienced employees are heading toward retirement, and that’s opening significant space in IT and beyond. Cisco’s response has been direct: invest in junior talent now. The company is committing resources to internal academies and early-career development programs, not as a PR gesture, but as a structural move for long-term scalability.
This isn’t about optimism, it’s about strategy. Businesses that actively build their next generation of leaders will outperform those that wait for the market to sort it out. These younger professionals are open to new technologies, fast to upskill, and unburdened by outdated mental models. But they need directed opportunities, not generic training. They need roles designed for value contribution, not placeholders while they “wait their turn.”
Executives should align investment budgets accordingly. Shift resources into programs that onboard, mentor, and accelerate junior talent. Start tracking performance not just by experience level, but by learning velocity and adaptability. The companies that align early with this demographic phase shift will recover faster from the leadership vacuum being left behind by exits. The demand for digital expertise isn’t slowing down. If anything, the next wave of AI deployment will require a workforce built with full-stack awareness, from new minds entering the space to technical architects guiding impact at scale. Build it now. Or chase it later.
Main highlights
- AI is now a baseline hiring requirement: 78% of IT roles in G7 countries require AI skills, making AI fluency a non-negotiable competency. Leaders should integrate AI proficiency into job descriptions and internal upskilling programs to stay competitive.
- Reskilling is more critical than upskilling: Displacement from automation is outpacing employee readiness for new roles. Executives must invest in full-scale reskilling strategies, not marginal training fixes, to future-proof workforce capabilities.
- AI-driven learning is a strategic enabler: Tools like AI-powered chatbots and adaptive learning platforms allow for highly personalized skill development at scale. Leaders should prioritize digital L&D infrastructure to accelerate internal mobility and readiness.
- Entry-level roles require redefinition: Automation is consuming low-complexity tasks, especially in law and consulting, reducing traditional junior opportunities. Businesses must redesign early career roles to focus on strategic thinking and contextual problem-solving.
- Young professionals are a long-term asset: Retirements are creating space for next-gen talent, but pipelines must be built intentionally. Executives should resource junior hiring and development programs now to secure long-term leadership depth.
