Written by Ash Gawthorp, Chief Academy Officer at Ten10
With the rise of any new technology, there is always an element of fear. From worries of mass job losses to even bigger concerns about the future of humanity. Technology is advancing at a much higher rate than ever before, so for many tech workers it feels like the ground is constantly shifting under their feet. But what does AI really mean for the future of tech workers and the industry?
Generative AI has been the latest development that has sent waves of concern not only through the tech industry but throughout the wider workforce. Technologists worldwide are asking themselves “Am I going to need to retrain? Where do I even start?”
We’re certainly at a tipping point with technology right now, but it is important, as with any development that has such a global impact, that we remain level-headed and approach this strategically.
Although it can slip out of memory as time passes, we’ve had comparative developments before. Even just from the past decade, we can take lessons from this.
Way back when what did skills look like?
The tech landscape has massively changed in the last decade and we have seen advancements like never before. But one thing that has stayed the same is that the core skills that were needed by tech engineers back then haven’t really changed, with technology change often adopting an “evolution not revolution” approach.
A lot of the fundamental and basic tech skills such as coding will remain a foundation for technologists to build on. Anyone who has worked in the tech industry over the last decade will have had to change and adapt with the growing tech around them but ultimately, their training still stands them in good stead.
Back in 2013, there were different focus points in the technology industry as well; test automation was big and infrastructure automation in the cloud was starting to emerge along with CI and CD. But on the flipside, AI and Machine Learning, invented in the 1940s hadn’t yet hit the mainstream and was still in research fields with few practical applications in the consumer space.
What did the journey to today look like?
As the technology industry began to rapidly develop, one of the biggest trends was the huge increase in focus on data. Automation really was a game-changer and has had a huge impact on the tech skills landscape. As robotic processes have become more prominent and as AI and ML continue to advance, the skills needed in the industry have shifted.
Tech still needs the human touch
But even in the tech industry, one of the biggest changes we’ve seen is the increased emphasis on soft and human skills. With the rise in automation, machine learning and AI, many of the more technical processes can be done by technology. And this isn’t something that is going to change.
So, when humans aren’t needed for those skills, the industry switches to what it does need from humans: soft skills. Although technology has advanced significantly and will continue to do so, there are many skills that won’t be able to replace what humans can bring. For example: emotional intelligence, communication skills and management of challenging situations. We need humans to carry out roles that heavily rely on these skills such as a project manager.
The tech landscape is opening far more to those who don’t possess those highly technical skills. We are seeing more roles in tech companies that don’t require a STEM background. There has also been a shift in training from being a specialist to being more of a generalist given the growing demand for those in the tech industry to have more of an overall understanding of the processes.
So, will AI overhaul this?
Although there is a fear that new technologies such as AI are going to overhaul everything technologists have spent decades learning, this just isn’t the case. We will always need people who understand the intricate details of how the technology works even if these roles slightly decrease.
Mechanical sympathy is a great way of thinking about it. Jackie Stewart, the former Formula One driver, referred to this a lot when describing his relationship with his race car. As a racing driver, he didn’t need the mechanical engineering background of an engine designer, or know the exact chemical composition of his tyres, but he did need to be sympathetic to it, to know how his actions could impact the whole car, knowing when to push the engine and tyres to get the most out of them whilst avoiding pushing them beyond breaking point, fully aware of their limitations.
But just because most drivers don’t understand in depth how a car works, this doesn’t negate the need for car mechanics and engineers. The same goes for AI: just because everyone can use ChatGPT, doesn’t mean we don’t still need the AI experts, or that people can just use it without an awareness of its potential impact.
What’s next?
Technologists and engineers are still using skills they were taught back in the 90s; they are just as relevant today as they were 30 years ago. We need to look at AI as an evolution, not a revolution. We are just growing and adapting, not totally overhauling everything we’ve ever known.
Fundamentally we are always going to need people who have a strong understanding of the fundamentals of technology and that isn’t going to change just because of generative AI. What we do need is people who are easily adaptable and are happy to adjust their learnings to fit in with this new technology.
As a result, soft skills are going to become increasingly important not just in the technology sector but throughout all industries. In areas where technology will undoubtedly replace some tasks, humans need to establish the value they can still bring to the table: human skills.
There has been a huge amount of change in the past 10 years. As we adapt, grow and learn more about technology, we must shift with the tide. But it doesn’t mean we have to get swept up and let it wash all over us. The fundamentals of technology will stay the same and one of the most exciting things about this new AI era will be the potential it will give to humans who can dedicate more time to pushing our capabilities further.
About Post Author
