Reports of recent job cuts, especially by tech companies, have spurred speculation about the impact of AI on the workplace: Will the advanced computing technology increasingly replace people on the job?
That was on Kaitlyn McCormick’s mind as she pursued a bachelor’s degree in the information technology field. She is now working toward a master’s in artificial intelligence and machine learning through CSU Global, an online, fully accredited university that’s part of the Colorado State University system.
“If you’re thinking four years or two years of education is going to take you to right where you need to be and you’ll be fine for the next 50 years, that’s not reality,” McCormick said. “If you don’t try to become more relevant, you’re going to be left behind. That’s the cold, dark truth.”
McCormick, who lives in Littleton, has worked in IT for about 16 years and has been a software engineer at Q2 Software Inc. for almost 10 years. The firm had a recent companywide discussion about incorporating AI into its platform. Some employees expressed angst and uncertainty about the prospect.
“It is a fearful moment. I can relate with them on that,” McCormick said.
Even as she pursues a master’s degree in AI and machine learning, McCormick, who is deaf, experiences her own uncertainty. The single mother is working full-time and taking classes as she strives to keep up with the changes.
“Rather than running away, you should embrace it, take advantage of using AI as an assistant,” McCormick said. “The first thing to consider is that AI will always require a human.”
Matthew Brown echoed McCormick’s statement that the computer systems still need human input.
The machines don’t learn all on their own, said Brown, program director of computer science at CSU Global. “They still have to have data input, they have to have human interaction for those models to be built.”
Artificial intelligence is a set of technologies that allows machines and computer programs to mimic human intelligence through experience, identifying patterns and making decisions based on large volumes of data at a speed beyond what people can do alone. CSU Global describes machine learning as a subfield of AI that helps a system learn more quickly so it can accomplish a particular task.
Brown doesn’t believe “the mantra that AI is taking over the world” and is going to replace people. He said jobs are changing and morphing into something else. People are needed to work with AI to interpret data and results.
“I still have to have people that feed these models data and manage them. The roles are changing, but there’s still the need for people that understand this technology,” Brown said.
He gave an example of a quality engineer in aerospace working on a design for an airplane wing. An engineer might spend days producing a report while AI could review that data and issue a report in less than a day.
“Now the quality engineer can use their time more wisely reviewing the report and come in, looking at the assumptions that the AI engine gave, and make decisions based on that,” Brown said.
However, he expects certain jobs, such as data entry or writing lines of computer code, to change or disappear.
“AI can generate lines of code way faster than anyone could type it out,” Brown said. “So those jobs that are being impacted the most are jobs that are high-touch, redundant work that’s prone to errors because of human input.”
He expects entry-level tech jobs to be affected. People in the industry have told Brown that they’re not looking for interns or entry-level programmers but for people with skills in AI.
“Programs in universities are going to have to rethink what they’re training students to do,” Brown said. “I think everybody’s going to be impacted by it, just about every industry, just about every role. It’s that transformative.”
The global consulting firm Challenger Gray & Christmas released a tally from U.S. employers that said 153,074 jobs were eliminated in October, up 175% from the 55,597 cuts reported in October 2024. The firm said some industries are correcting after the hiring boom during the pandemic, but the reductions also come as companies are adopting AI, costs are rising, and consumer and corporate spending are softening.
Technology led in private-sector job cuts as companies restructure amid AI integration, slower demand and efficiency pressures, Challenger Gray & Christmas said. The industry announced 33,281 reductions, compared with 5,639 in September.
But experts told CNBC in early November that companies could be blaming AI for layoffs that are because of business mistakes and belt-tightening. Peter Cappelli, a professor of management at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, told CNBC “there’s very little evidence that it cuts jobs anywhere near like the level that we’re talking about.”
In most cases, Cappelli said, AI doesn’t cut head count at all.
About 560 students are enrolled in CSU Global’s online master’s degree program in AI and machine learning. Brown, whose background includes time in the military and work in retail, aerospace and government contracting, said the students are a diverse group. Many are looking to improve their skills or re-enter the job market.
“As an institution, we’ve decided that we need to understand and be a part of AI, making sure that students understand it and can use it efficiently to get the kind of work they want,” Brown said.
