Shiksha Survey: Students' Perception on AI Replacing IT Jobs
When the world is constantly evolving, advancing technology, a new question has arisen: whether Artificial Intelligence (AI) will take over human labour across various industries around the globe. Among all, the one sector that often comes under scrutiny is the IT profession, a field that is one of the most important parts of the modern economy.
To get a view of students’ in this, Shiksha conducted a poll survey asking them if they really think that AI will replace the IT profession. The responses from the poll revealed some interesting insights into how the students today view the future of IT & Software in an AI-driven world.
Hence, the article further breaks down these findings and explores what they might suggest about the future of IT and AI.
55% Votes: Yes, to a Large Extent
More than half of the students 55% believe that AI can replace the IT profession to a significant degree. This response shows a growing confidence of students in AI’s abilities to automate tasks traditionally performed by IT professionals. AI has already begun to streamline and automate many aspects of IT work, from software/app development and system administration to data analysis and network management.
Btech in AI graduates can pursue careers in various fields like:
Machine Learning Engineer
AI Researcher
Data Scientist
Robotics Engineer
Computer Vision Engineer
Natural Language Processing Engineer
AI Product Manager
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Some visible examples of AI in the IT field include DevOps automation, where Machine Learning (ML) algorithms are helping code deployment management, detecting system vulnerabilities, and even troubleshooting issues in real time. AI Tools like GitHub Copilot and AI-driven testing platforms are pushing the boundaries of what AI can achieve in coding, making the development process swift and more efficient.
Given the rate at which tech giants all over the world are replacing human professionals with AI, it’s no surprise that most students believe AI can replace much of the IT workforce, especially in areas where tasks are repetitive, rule-based, or highly structured.
23%: AI Can Somewhat Replace IT Jobs
Almost a quarter of students feel that AI will somewhat replace the IT profession. This section of students still believes that the human touch will still be intact in the IT field, despite some generic tasks being automated by Artificial Intelligence. AI can be a reliable source to automate and analyze data, but it is still not able to replicate the creativity, problem-solving skills, and emotional intelligence that humans bring to the table.
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Companies still need professionals with innovative and complex decision-making skills, who can manage employee and client relationships. For instance, an AI can write code or identify patterns, but it will struggle to offer the strategic direction that comes from certain experience; only a human can offer.
Alongside, IT professionals also work with end-users, tailoring solutions for them, managing their projects, and ensuring their satisfaction, along with fulfilling business needs. All this requires interpersonal skills and deep domain knowledge, with human emotions that are lacking in AI.
22% Votes: Not Sure About AI Replacing IT
Surprisingly, around 22% of 100% voters are unsure whether AI could replace the IT profession. This option reflects the doubts around AI’s potential to completely interrupt or evolve across the IT industry. While AI has made great progress, many students are still doubtful about how far it will go in replacing complex human roles.
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Another reason for this skepticism can be the ever-changing nature of the IT field, especially in the last few decades. The workflows, jobs, technologies, everything can change in the blink of an eye. The IT professionals are required to constantly upskill their knowledge and keep up with trends, which can make it harder for AI to replace them completely.
Many people also think that the complete takeover of AI in any industry can affect society ethically and economically, as replacing human workers entirely will create job displacement and economic disruption. Many people think that AI will continue to advance in order to make a shift in how we view work and labor, and lead to the creation of new roles and industries.
The Future of IT in an AI World
Looking into the future, it is clear that Artificial Intelligence will continue to play a significant role in almost every industry; however, the only question that arises is at what rate it will replace humans. AI is most likely to accompany humans rather than replace them entirely. As a matter of fact, AI has already started reshaping the IT job landscape, generating new opportunities for IT students to work with AI tools and software, increasing their efficiency.
AI automation is being utilized for repeated tasks, saving their time and effort on repetitive work, offering time to upskill and work on innovations.
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Conclusion
The result shown from Shiksha’s poll survey highlighted a growing concern about AI in the IT industry. 55% of 100% voters believe that AI will take over the IT profession significantly, which shows employment and future-related concerns among more than half of the IT students. Meanwhile, the other half of voters either are unsure or think a significant number acknowledge the continuing relevance of human expertise in IT.
AI will definitely not replace IT jobs completely, but it will change the nature of those jobs, requiring new skills, new roles, and a restructured approach to work.
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No, AI will not take over all the coding jobs, but it will definitely transform them. It will help increase programmers' productivity, automate monotonous tasks, and speed up development. Programmers will concentrate more on complex tasks and innovations. The job focus will be shifted, reducing the need for entry-level programmers.