The Fastest-Growing Tech Jobs
▼ Summary
– AI is becoming a basic workforce skill across 50 ICT and support job roles, transforming functions from software development to cybersecurity.
– Demand for AI technical skills like LLMs and Generative AI is creating a significant skills deficit across G7 economies, especially in AI governance and ethics.
– Human skills such as communication and critical thinking are increasingly vital for explaining AI risks and ensuring ethical implementation alongside technical expertise.
– AI job growth is concentrated in established tech hubs like Silicon Valley and emerging centers like Manchester, influencing talent availability and competition.
– Security leaders must adopt a skills-first approach with training in AI risk and governance, using strategies like “Build, Buy, Borrow, Bot” to address workforce needs.
The technology sector is experiencing a dramatic transformation, with artificial intelligence skills becoming essential across nearly every job function. A recent analysis from the AI Workforce Consortium, which includes major players like Cisco, reveals that AI integration is no longer confined to specialized roles but is now a fundamental competency required throughout the information and communications technology landscape. This shift is creating both significant opportunities and pressing challenges, particularly in the realms of security, ethics, and governance, as companies race to build teams capable of managing intelligent systems.
Research examining fifty distinct job roles found that proficiency in AI is reshaping positions in software development, data science, cybersecurity, and management. The widespread adoption of automation platforms and intelligent agents is the primary driver behind this change, demanding new levels of technical skill from the workforce. Consequently, some of the most rapidly expanding positions now include AI/ML Engineer, NLP Engineer, and AI Risk and Governance Specialist. The emergence of agentic AI, which can make decisions independently, is further accelerating the need for professionals who understand how to secure and oversee these powerful tools at scale.
This surging demand is contributing to a pronounced skills shortage across G7 economies. The market currently lacks enough qualified individuals, creating a deficit that spans all career levels. Specific technical capabilities like Large Language Models (LLMs), LLM Architecture, Prompt Engineering, and Generative AI are seeing the highest growth in demand, requiring immediate educational interventions. Simultaneously, the need for expertise in AI Governance and AI Ethics is expanding at an exponential rate. This widening gap directly impacts an organization’s capacity to protect AI systems from misuse and ensure they comply with increasing regulatory scrutiny.
However, the solution is not solely technical. The report emphasizes that human skills are growing in importance. Abilities such as communication, critical thinking, and leadership are increasingly valued within ICT roles. For security professionals, this means they must be able to clearly articulate AI-related risks to non-technical executives, work effectively across different departments, and apply ethical judgment to complex situations. Successful AI adoption hinges not just on technical defenses but also on building trust. Individuals who can merge deep technical knowledge with these human-centric skills will be best equipped to manage AI responsibly.
A Cisco executive highlighted that while AI is transforming the world of work, people remain central to the process. The combination of new technical expertise and enduring human strengths is what will ultimately forge a more promising future, underscoring a commitment to preparing the global workforce for this new era.
Geographically, the most intense growth for AI-related jobs is concentrated in established technology hubs like Silicon Valley, London, and Toronto. At the same time, emerging centers such as Manchester, Lyon, and Vancouver are quickly gaining prominence. This regional clustering influences where talent is most readily available and predicts where the competition for top AI security professionals will be fiercest. Understanding these labor market dynamics can help security leaders strategically focus their hiring, partnership, and training initiatives.
In response, the Consortium advises businesses to adopt a skills-first strategy. For those leading security teams, this involves making significant investments in AI-focused learning and development programs. Teams require structured training in AI risk, governance, and technical defense, supported by clear career pathways that guide employees from initial exposure to AI tools into advanced governance positions. A practical framework like “Build, Buy, Borrow, Bot” can help align workforce planning with business objectives. For a security function, this could mean developing certain capabilities in-house, hiring for others, forming strategic partnerships to address gaps, and deploying automation to handle routine monitoring duties.
(Source: HelpNet Security)
