Currently, there are two issues that are troubling IT employees in the country. One is the decisions being taken by U.S. President Donald Trump and his style of functioning. The second is Artificial Intelligence (AI). Trump’s decisions, particularly, are causing concern for Indian tech professionals. He has openly stated that top companies in America should not hire Indian IT professionals and that priority should be given to Americans. Leaving aside the question of how much companies will implement Trump’s declaration, his statement is creating anxiety not only among job seekers but also among those who are already employed. In the U.S., tech giant Microsoft has already announced that it will lay off 15,000 employees. Now, India’s number one IT company, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), has also taken a similar step. TCS has stated that it will lay off 12,000 employees globally. As a result, there is a possibility that senior-grade and mid-level employees will be affected, according to company CEO K. Krithivasan in an interview. He mentioned that AI alone is not the reason behind the layoffs—employee skill gaps are also a concern.
On the other hand, he said they are looking for high-quality talent. In order to ease margin pressures, it's estimated that other IT companies in the country may follow in TCS’s footsteps in the coming days. While AI is causing anxiety among IT employees, experts say engineers in five specific fields need not worry. The main reason for this is the sectors they are working in. Despite AI concerns, cyber security engineers are now considered to be in the safe job list. This is because of the looming large-scale threats of data theft, which ensure that skilled professionals in this area will face no issues. Even though AI can detect threats related to data theft, experienced human resources are crucial to tackle the challenges that arise in this field. Along with them, embedded systems engineers are also in the safe zone, according to IT industry experts. Especially in areas like Internet of Things (IoT), automotive, and industrial automation, embedded systems engineers are in demand, say job market sources. Their view is that a complete dependency on AI is not possible in this segment without skilled human resources.
Robotic engineers also need not worry about AI. IT experts predict that there will be strong demand for them in the coming decade. Robotics engineers are essential to design, build, and maintain advanced robotic systems. Their expertise in mechanics, control systems, and AI integration makes this role secure. Even though AI powers robotics, engineers are still vital in this field. As quantum computing develops, experts in this field will become highly important. Since quantum research is largely theoretical and experimental in nature, most believe that the creativity and innovation required for progress cannot be replaced by AI.
Development Operations (DevOps) engineers, who act as a bridge between software development and operations teams, are also not significantly threatened by AI. Their role involves making complex decisions, collaboration, and troubleshooting, which makes their presence indispensable. Even though other IT employees are worried about AI, cyber security, embedded systems, development operations, quantum computing, and robotics engineers might remain unaffected. Experts suggest that those aiming for new jobs should acquire skills in these fields, as it would improve their chances in the job market.