How is AI Changing Tech Roles?

You’d have been living under a rock if you hadn’t already heard about AI tools, or to be frank, had it discussed at least once a week in the office. In recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) has become the most sought-after technological advancement, reshaping our work and personal lives.?

From healthcare to finance and retail to manufacturing, AI is increasingly being integrated into systems to automate tasks, reduce human error, and improve decision-making. One particular industry where the impact of AI is profound is the tech sector (unsurprisingly).?

The tech world is abuzz with the transformative power of AI and how it is reshaping IT roles. Therefore, understanding how AI is impacting the tech sector is helpful for staying ahead of the curve and implementing innovative tools.?

Let’s explore how AI is changing tech roles, the new skills required for these professionals, and the urgency of creating an AI-driven organisational culture.

New Skills for Tech Professionals to Learn

The popularity of AI has raised concerns about the potential loss of job roles or completely replacing them with AI. While there is no denying that AI has this potential, it’s unlikely to replace the human workforce entirely. In fact, the integration of AI is expected to create more job opportunities, through new sectors and work models.

At our most recent Fruition IT Talks Tech event, held on Wednesday 3rd July, our panel made a brilliant point to abolish this fear with the phrase “AI is just a tool”. Peter Ennis , CTO at Nexus Vehicle Rental gave a really simple example with; “joiners were given power tools, this doesn’t make their job obsolete, it makes them faster and more efficient… and some tasks easier.”?

With that in mind, acquiring new AI-centric skills for tech professionals has become a building block to embrace innovative tools. To stay competitive and relevant in IT, an industry known for its fast pace shifts, professionals must master data engineering, data science, machine learning, deep learning, AI programming languages, problem-solving, and analytical thinking.?

The Blend of Human Skills & AI Capabilities

Recently, many industry leaders attended our latest Sourcing and Social event. In this event, the panel explored the power of AI in hiring and retaining employees. One of the panellists, Aidan Halliday (CCO at JobDeck AI), emphasised the need to blend AI with human oversight to reduce concerns and build trust. All the panellists agreed on not going overboard with AI, as candidates still want to communicate with the human recruiter.?

This signifies the importance of irreplaceable human interactions that act as a USP no matter the business type. People are still a bit sceptical about AI, and rightly so. It’s a good idea for businesses to realise this when implementing AI tools and technologies into their workflow.

The Risk of Falling Behind Competitors

With the continuous adoption of new AI and machine learning trends, the tech industry is constantly evolving. It seems like ten new AI tools pop up daily at this rate. A few of the latest trends include Multimodal AI, Generative AI, Quantum Computing, Open source AI, and Conversational AI.

This new wave of AI integration has made CIOs and CTOs invest in the latest tools and technology to minimise the risk of falling behind competitors. However, there is a balance.?

Here at Fruition we speak with CTOs and CIOs daily and we’re hearing the same story: stakeholders and other c-suite professionals are having meetings saying, ‘we need to implement more AI’, or ‘why haven’t we got AI to do X yet?’, placing increasing pressure on tech leaders to get new tools embedded, and fast. However, the professionals (the CIOs and CTOs) are saying ‘hold on a second, why do we need this?’ ‘why do we need it now?’ and are often met with blank faces.

It is becoming increasingly crucial that tech execs have confidence in their expertise and are able to push back, whether it be as simple as saying ‘we already have a system that does this’, or ‘we already capture this data here in that workflow’, or simply asking 'why?'.

Pause, reflect on your business and processes, and really consider where AI tools can add the most value.?Businesses that adapt fast, considering their unique business model, are usually the ones that succeed. So, with industry leaders taking charge and implementing AI in businesses, they can create and promote an AI-driven work culture that keeps up with the adoption curve.?

Obsolete Skills & Roles

AI is, however, making some traditional IT skills obsolete. Conventional skills focused on routine tasks such as manual data entry, data analysis, and repetitive administrative tasks are just a subset of this. Going further afield, basic programming and coding, customer service, and system monitoring are all being replaced with these new automation tools. Although, not entirely – just yet.?

On the contrary, skills that remain in the category of ‘creative’ including problem-solving, creative and critical thinking have a kind of safeguarding against them. AI just isn’t creative at this point. Matt Comber (CEO at Sourceflow) shared his thoughts on such skills at the Sourcing and Social event. He said, “We need to have analytical thinking in business and really protect the creative people in our businesses who are able to think differently. They’re going to be the artists of the future.” This highlights the importance of human skills that AI cannot replace in any business.?

Responsibilities & Strategic Importance of a CAIO

The introduction of AI to the tech or business world has created a new but significant IT role: the Chief AI Officer (CAIO). Matt Comber, at the Sourcing and Social event, suggested the need for the CAIO to navigate the challenges of AI implementation. The role of the CAIO in any business will be something that becomes increasingly important. So having a person responsible for developing, implementing, and overseeing AI-related strategies goes smoothly without causing any hiccups.?

Additionally, the CAIO ensures that the policies and frameworks implemented comply with ethical standards and regulatory requirements. This pivotal IT role ensures the safe and responsible use of AI within the organisation, promoting data security and privacy. Overall contributes to long-term business success.?

However, we have to share the contrasting outcome from our Fruition IT Talks Tech event this week. The panel, Peter Ennis , Rebecca Fitzgerald and Dave Stott were unanimous in thinking the role of a CAIO will NOT become the norm, giving the comparison that you wouldn’t have a ‘chief internet officer’ and reiterating that AI isn’t a department, it is a tech tool. They suggested that other roles, including theirs, will differ to take on the varying responsibilities that AI platforms bring.

An interesting debate to finish on, and one we look forward to unfolding as AI becomes increasingly more embedded into businesses.?