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Over the past two years, businesses have increasingly earmarked resources to determine how artificial intelligence (A.I.) technologies can fit within their organizations. A recent Bloomberg survey shows that 60 percent of enterprise CIOs are willing to invest more in these technologies in the near term, with larger-scale deployments on the way.
As more and more organizations invest in generative A.I. and large language models (LLMs), IT and cybersecurity professionals can expect their jobs to change. A recent industry group report shines a new light on how A.I. will likely affect tech and cyber careers in the coming years, and what these changes mean for keeping skills fresh in an A.I. world.
The report, published by the AI-Enabled ICT Workforce Consortium, finds that about 92 percent of information and communication technology (ICT) jobs are set to undergo either a “high or moderate transformation” due to A.I. advancements. For those tech pros getting their start, results show that “40 percent of mid-level positions and 37 percent of entry-level positions [are] expected to have high levels of transformation.”
(The AI-Enabled ICT Workforce Consortium is an industry group led by Cisco and other major tech firms focused on A.I. and what skills the workforce needs to compete. The consortium is also advised by outside groups such as the AFL-CIO.)
Digging deeper into the numbers, the consortium report finds many cybersecurity positions, such as cybersecurity analyst, ethical hacker and information security expert, are expected to change with the advent of A.I. in the enterprise. Additionally, researchers found that while 70 percent of CISOs believe A.I. gives attacks an advantage, 35 percent of these security leaders have begun experimenting with the technology to improve defenses.
All this means major changes for security professionals and their teams.
“With the intervention of AI there has been an upgrade to the quality of work. However, many challenges have been identified in cybersecurity job roles,” the report’s authors note.
These developments mean cyber pros (and the larger group of tech professionals who will be affected by these technological changes) must seek out reskilling and upskilling opportunities to keep current and position themselves for career advancement as A.I. takes hold. Organizations also must take responsibility to prepare their tech workers to meet these needs, including creating new ways for them to add the skills.
“The implications of A.I. for cybersecurity are profound. A.I. is not just a tool; it’s a target and a threat, making ethical navigation more critical than ever,” said Julian Brownlow Davies, vice president for advanced services at Bugcrowd. “We’re already seeing a growing need for professionals who can handle the ethical implications of A.I., ensuring privacy, preventing bias and maintaining transparency in A.I.-driven decisions. The ability to test for A.I.’s unique security and safety use cases is becoming critical.”
A.I. and Its Effects on Specific Jobs and Tasks
The consortium report offers numerous examples of how A.I. technologies affect specific cybersecurity roles within organizations. For example, a cybersecurity analyst must understand network security, operating systems, penetration testing, risk management and a host of other skills as part of their current job description.
With the coming of A.I., a cybersecurity analyst will also need to build up knowledge around prompt engineering and LLM architecture. Over time, cybersecurity analysts must require additional skills to stay current, according to the report.
“The emphasis will be on understanding and integrating Gen AI technologies, ensuring Cybersecurity Analysts can effectively defend against advanced threats and enhance their operational efficiency,” the report noted. “AI will augment many aspects of the Cybersecurity Analyst role, significantly improving efficiency and effectiveness.”
Industry experts note that other cybersecurity jobs, such as security operation center (SOC) analyst, are likely to change, too, as A.I. automates processes and routine tasks.
“Applying A.I. safely and securely in SOCs can help augment the current cyber workforce, expanding situational awareness and accelerating mean time to action to allow them to be more efficient, reduce fatigue and prioritize cyber investigation workloads,” Nicole Carignan, vice president of strategic cyber A.I. at security firm Darktrace, told Dice. “A.I. can be tremendously beneficial, augmenting human teams by performing autonomous investigations to reduce remediation time and fast-track learnings of an incident.”
For almost all cybersecurity professionals, A.I. will require acquiring skills such as machine learning, deep learning and natural language processing. Cybersecurity pros will also need to sharpen their analytic skills, Davies said.
“The ability to interpret A..I-generated insights will be essential for detecting anomalies, predicting threats and enhancing overall security measures,” Davies told Dice. “Additionally, the skill of prompt engineering—designing and refining prompts for ChatGPT, and other platforms, will become increasingly valuable. Prompt engineering isn’t just a skill; it’s the key to unlocking A.I.’s full potential in cybersecurity.”
As new jobs are created thanks to these emerging technologies, Davies wants organizations to develop positions she calls “A.I. shepherds” who can act as guardians of A.I. technology to ensure these tools are safe, ethical and beneficial.
“A.I. Shepherds are the new gatekeepers of technology—guiding AI with ethics and oversight and aligning it with human values,” she added. “Their role will involve advocacy, risk management, and continuous assessment and monitoring of A.I. models.”
Look for Ways to Upskill on A.I. Now
Experts noted that, with the increasing interest in generative and other A.I, platforms, tech and security professionals should focus on upskilling now rather than wait for these technologies to be fully integrated.
“Without question, A.I. will transform rather than de-skill the cybersecurity workforce. A.I.’s impact on the cybersecurity workforce could shift the existing skills gap towards a more nuanced labor gap,” Craig Jones, vice president of security operations at Ontinue, told Dice. “To address this, continuous education and upskilling become crucial. Organizations and educational institutions must provide training that bridges this gap, ensuring that the workforce is equipped to use AI tools and understand their underlying mechanisms, ethical implications and limitations.”
It is also important to understand that A.I. is more likely to transform jobs than eliminate them. Upskilling and reskilling now ensure tech and security professionals are ready for when these changes happen, said Stephen Kowski, field CTO at SlashNext.
“Rather than fearing replacement workers should focus on developing a deep understanding of A.I. algorithms, enhancing their data interpretation capabilities and mastering the art of prompt engineering to effectively communicate with A.I.-powered security tools,” Kowski told Dice. “Additionally, cybersecurity professionals should prioritize continuous learning to stay ahead of emerging AI-enabled threats and defense mechanisms, ensuring they can protect organizations against increasingly sophisticated attacks that leverage artificial intelligence.”