IT Job Market in AI Transition: New Jobs Emerge, Others Disappear

Overview

  • Author: Franziska Telser / Handelsblatt
  • Source: Handelsblatt.com
  • Date: 14.11.2025
  • Estimated Reading Time: 3 minutes

Article Summary

What is it about? The rapid development of Artificial Intelligence is fundamentally changing the IT job market. While AI takes over traditional tasks, new job profiles and requirements are emerging.

Important Facts:

  • By 2040, 663,000 IT specialists will be missing according to Bitkom association
  • Only 15% of companies expect AI-related job cuts in IT
  • 38% of companies expect additional IT needs due to AI
  • Survey based on 850 companies
  • AI is already taking over: programming, data analysis, software testing
  • New roles are emerging: Prompt Engineer, AI Ethics Officers
  • IT experts could previously count on six-figure salaries [⚠️ Still to be verified - no concrete figures mentioned]

Affected Groups: IT specialists in all areas, companies with digitalization needs, career starters in the IT industry, continuing education providers

Opportunities & Risks:

  • Opportunities: New job profiles, high demand for specialized skills, continuing education opportunities
  • Risks: Outdated skills become obsolete, rapid change requires continuous learning

Recommendations: IT specialists should familiarize themselves early with AI technologies and develop new competencies in AI management, ethics, and prompt engineering.

Looking to the Future

Short-term (1 year): Increased demand for AI-savvy IT experts, first companies hire Prompt Engineers and AI Ethics Officers

Medium-term (5 years): Traditional programming and testing jobs transform into AI management roles, new training programs establish themselves

Long-term (10–20 years): IT industry becomes fully AI-integrated, focus shifts to creativity, ethics, and strategic AI governance

Fact Check

  • Bitkom figures (663,000 missing specialists by 2040): Plausible, corresponds to previous projections by the association
  • Survey of 850 companies: Solid data basis for trend statements
  • New job profiles (Prompt Engineer, AI Ethics Officers): Already visible in first job postings
  • Six-figure salaries: [⚠️ Still to be verified] - no concrete salary figures in the article

Additional Sources

For a complete assessment, additional sources would be helpful:

  • Current salary studies for IT professions
  • Job market analyses on AI jobs
  • International comparative data on AI transformation

Source List

  • Original Source: Job Market: Which IT Jobs are in Future Demand and Which Ones Will Disappear? - Handelsblatt, 14.11.2025
  • Additional Sources:
    1. Bitkom studies on IT skills shortage (bitkom.org)
    2. Federal Employment Agency - IT Job Market Reports
    3. StepStone Salary Report IT Professions 2025
  • Facts checked: on 14.11.2025

Brief Summary

The IT job market faces fundamental change due to AI, but demand for specialists remains high. While AI takes over routine tasks, new specialized roles in AI management and ethics are emerging. IT professionals must continuously educate themselves to remain relevant. The responsibility lies with both specialists and companies to invest in new competencies in time.

Three Key Questions

  1. What risks to freedom arise when AI systems increasingly make IT decisions and human control decreases?

  2. Where is more responsibility needed from companies to qualify their IT teams for the AI transition in time rather than replace them?

  3. How can innovation and transparency be promoted so that new AI jobs are not only accessible to an elite, but broad continuing education opportunities emerge?