By 2030, IT departments are expected to integrate AI into all their operations, according to a prediction from the research firm Gartner. The firm reassures, however, that this integration is unlikely to result in significant job losses.

In a keynote at Gartner’s Symposium held recently in Australia, VP analyst Alicia Mullery discussed the current state, where 81% of IT tasks are performed by humans without AI assistance. This scenario is expected to shift dramatically within five years, as Gartner foresees 75% of IT operations involving some level of AI augmentation. Humans will continue to play a crucial role, though the reliance on automation will increase.

Daryl Plummer, a distinguished VP analyst at Gartner, emphasized that AI would expand labor capacity within IT departments. He advised tech leaders to collaborate with other parts of their organizations to seek opportunities for adding value, stressing the importance of not appearing overstaffed. Plummer also pointed out that AI is not currently causing job losses in bulk, projecting that only a small percentage of roles might be affected in the near future, primarily at entry levels as AI takes on basic tasks.

Nevertheless, the anticipated AI-driven cost increases could pose challenges for businesses, as ongoing AI innovation necessitates continuous skill development and adaptation. Gartner describes a complicated rollout process, whereby constant updates to AI require organizations to frequently assess their AI strategy and staff capabilities.

The firm also noted potential costs associated with AI usage that businesses might not initially anticipate, including acquiring new data sets and managing multiple AI models. Furthermore, utilizing one AI model to validate another’s output adds to operational expenses.

Despite these challenges, Gartner encourages CIOs and IT leaders to pursue AI advancements aggressively. They recommend aligning with major cloud providers like AWS, Microsoft, Google, and Alibaba for their substantial resources and innovation capabilities, while remaining cautious of smaller, less mature AI vendors. Gartner identifies OpenAI and similar companies as potential risks due to their current inability to cater to enterprise-specific needs.

Over time, Gartner anticipates a greater movement towards AI applications beyond basic chatbots, emphasizing the importance of deploying autonomous agents capable of handling complex tasks such as negotiations.

Overall, while AI is set to revolutionize IT functions by the decade’s end, Gartner maintains confidence that job security will not be significantly threatened.