Recent reports of layoffs, particularly by technology companies, have sparked speculation about the impact of AI on the workplace. Will advanced computing technology increasingly replace human resources in the field?
Caitlin McCormick had that in mind as she pursued a bachelor's degree in information technology. She is currently pursuing a master's degree in artificial intelligence and machine learning through CSU Global, a fully accredited online university that is part of the Colorado State University System.
“If you think that four or two years of education will get you where you want to go and you'll be OK for the next 50 years, that's not reality,” McCormick said. “If you don't try to be more social, you'll be left behind. That's the cold, dark truth.”
McCormick, who lives in Littleton, has worked in the IT industry for about 16 years, including about 10 years as a software engineer at Q2 Software Inc. The company recently had a company-wide discussion about incorporating AI into its platform. Some employees expressed fear and uncertainty about this prospect.
“It's a scary moment. I can empathize with them in that respect,” McCormick said.
Despite pursuing a master's degree in AI and machine learning, McCormick, who is deaf, feels insecure about herself. The single mother works full time and takes classes to keep up with the changes.
“Instead of running away from it, we should embrace it and use AI as an assistant,” McCormick said. “The first thing to consider is that AI will always need humans.”
Matthew Brown echoed McCormick's comment that computer systems still require human input.
“Machines don't learn everything on their own,” said Brown, CSU Global's computer science program director. “Data still needs to be input, and building the model still requires human interaction.”
Artificial intelligence is a set of technologies that enable machines and computer programs to mimic human intelligence through experience, identifying patterns and making decisions based on large amounts of data at speeds faster than humans can do alone. CSU Global describes machine learning as a subfield of AI that allows systems to learn more quickly to accomplish specific tasks.
Brown doesn't believe in the “mantra that AI will take over the world” and wants to replace humans. He said the job is changing and morphing into something different. Humans are needed to interpret data and results using AI.
“We still need people to feed and manage data into these models. The roles are changing, but there's still a need for people who understand this technology,” Brown said.
He gave the example of a quality engineer in the aerospace field who works on the design of airplane wings. If it takes an engineer several days to create a report, AI can review that data and issue a report within a day.
“Quality engineers can now use their time more wisely to review reports, review the assumptions made by the AI engine, and make decisions based on that,” Brown said.
But he expects certain jobs, such as data entry and writing lines of computer code, to change or disappear.
“AI can generate lines of code much faster than anyone can type them,” Brown says. “So the jobs most affected are jobs that are frequently performed, redundant, and error-prone due to human input.”
He expects entry-level technical jobs to be affected. Industry insiders told Brown they are looking for people with AI skills, not interns or novice programmers.
“University programs are going to have to rethink what they train their students to do,” Brown said. “I think everyone will be affected by it, almost every industry, almost every role. It's very transformative.”
Challenger, Gray & Christmas, a global consulting firm, released a tally from U.S. employers showing that 153,074 jobs were cut in October, a 175% increase from the 55,597 job cuts reported in October 2024. The company said that while some industries are adjusting after a hiring boom during the pandemic, cuts will also result from companies adopting AI, rising costs and softening consumer and business spending.
Challenger Gray & Christmas said technology led private sector job cuts as companies restructured on the back of AI integration, slowing demand and efficiency pressures. The industry announced a reduction of 33,281 jobs compared to 5,639 in September.
But experts told CNBC in early November that companies may be blaming AI for layoffs due to operational errors or stress. “There's very little evidence of job cuts anywhere near the levels we're talking about,” Peter Cappelli, a business professor at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, told CNBC.
In most cases, Cappelli says, AI won't reduce headcount at all.
Approximately 560 students are enrolled in CSU Global's online master's degree program in AI and machine learning. Brown said the students are a diverse group, with backgrounds that include military service and work in retail, aerospace and government contracting. Many people want to improve their skills or re-enter the job market.
“As an educational institution, we decided that we needed to understand AI and be a part of it, and we needed to help our students understand AI and use AI effectively to get the kinds of jobs they wanted,” Brown said.
