Amid talent shortages, the accelerating pace of upskilling, and the emergence of hybrid roles, the question isn’t whether IT jobs will disappear, but whether organizations can adapt quickly enough.
AI has established itself in a few short years as a major strategic lever for businesses. But this rapid adoption comes with a less visible phenomenon: the accelerating obsolescence of skills.
According to the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs 2025 report, nearly 39% of the know-how currently in use within companies will be altered or rendered obsolete by 2030. A figure that underscores the scale of the challenge.
In France, this reality is particularly pronounced in IT. The Inop’s 2025 barometer shows that cybersecurity (53%) and artificial intelligence (49%) are among the domains where skills become obsolete the fastest. In other words, these are also the most dynamic sectors and the most exposed to transformation.
The problem, therefore, is not AI itself, but the speed at which technologies evolve, often faster than organizations’ ability to adapt their teams.
Not all IT roles are exposed to obsolescence in the same way
Speaking of a generalized obsolescence of IT trades would be misleading, because AI’s impact varies greatly by function. A Python developer, for instance, sees tools constantly evolving, but core skills endure. In this context, AI acts mainly as an accelerator, automating certain tasks or boosting productivity.
Conversely, roles such as cloud manager, data architect, or infrastructure lead face more structural transformations. The advent of autonomous AI agents and distributed intelligent systems is profoundly changing their missions, steering them more toward orchestration, supervision, and governance.
This evolution is accompanied by the emergence of new hybrid roles. Prompt engineers, AI solutions architects, and other profiles able to bridge technology and business usage illustrate this recomposition. Thus, AI does not eliminate IT jobs; it reconfigures them.
Training, hybridization, and hiring differently
This rapid transformation strains the job market. A Cloudera study conducted with IT leaders found that 62% of companies currently believe they lack the internal skills needed to fully leverage their AI projects. This gap translates into difficult recruitment, slowed projects, and, at times, compromises.
In this context, the answer cannot be purely quantitative. More training is essential, but it must target the right skills. In IT and data, continuous training becomes a prerequisite, given how quickly tools, frameworks, and usages evolve.
Companies must also rethink their recruitment methods. Adopting skill-based hiring, rather than relying solely on academic backgrounds, helps address shifting needs. The hybridization of profiles — technical, business, organizational — thus becomes a driver of technological resilience.
AI, a catalyst rather than a threat
Contrary to the often-expressed fears, AI does not necessarily translate into widespread job destruction. The most recent projections instead foresee a positive net. The World Economic Forum estimates that AI and advanced automation could generate more job creations than they eliminate by 2030 (2)…
In IT, the reality is already visible. Jobs evolve, specialize, and gain in added value. The real risk isn’t automation, but inaction. Companies that delay investing in skills, failing to structure their data strategy, or adapting their organization, widen a gap that’s hard to close.
Obsolescence is therefore not a fate. It is the symptom of an ecosystem undergoing rapid change. For IT decision-makers as for professionals, the challenge is clear: anticipate, upskill, and surround themselves with the right expertise to turn AI into a durable lever of performance.
Anthony Berges is Deputy CEO of Freelance.com
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(1) IT skills obsolescence, 2025 Barometer
(2) Forbes – “The Future of Jobs by 2030, according to the World Economic Forum” – January 2025
