ChatGPT: 7 IT Jobs That AI Can’t Replace

ChatGPT – the oh-so-trendy AI tool the whole world is talking about. Ever since it was launched on 30th November 2022, ChatGPT proved to be a one-in-all tool to perform complex tasks and simplify them. Be it cracking UPenn’s Wharton MBA exam, writing Ivy League School admission essays, or doing simple tasks like writing emails, posts, recipes, and whatnot. Despite being so good with almost all job roles, there are still some jobs that AI can’t replace. These include jobs that require creativity, empathy, critical thinking, and human interaction.

OpenAI-powered ChatGPT and recently launched GPT-4 have already fueled fear in people’s minds too because of their advanced technology, especially in IT professionals due to ongoing mass layoffs. The questions arise continuously – Will ChatGPT replace programmers and other IT professionals?

With the ongoing battle of AI chatbots such as ChatGPT, Google’s BARD, Microsoft-powered Bing, ChatSonic, and the recently launched Ernie (powered by China’s Baidu App), the dreadful feeling of losing their jobs or getting replaced by AI has heightened to a peak among the IT professionals.

So far, 503 tech companies all over the world have laid off 1,39,165 employees in 2023. The onset of the AI chatbot era has contributed to a certain percentage of this ongoing tech layoff. A recent Goldman Sach report concluded that 300 Million jobs are at risk of getting replaced or becoming obsolete. The report quoted that 4% of jobs in Europe and 25% of jobs in the US could be automated.

But the main question that arises is whether ChatGPT will be able to replace all jobs in the IT sector. The answer is NO. In this article, we’ll be talking about 7 such IT Jobs that ChatGPT can’t replace.

7 IT Jobs that AI Can’t Replace

Artificial Intelligence has certainly unburdened a lot of the tasks and helped tremendously in simplifying the workload. When the movie “Back to the Future” was released and flying cars were shown, people generally thought that they would get to fly cars in 2023. 

And that event has already happened in 2023 with self-driving flying cars. But even with advanced AI technology, there are some job roles that AI won’t be able to replace so easily in the current and future scenario.

Here are 7 IT jobs that AI can’t replace in the current and near-future scenario – 

1. Programmers

While AI can code to a certain degree like writing short command line programs and raw code but creating hardcore coding is out of its range. Writing raw codes is just the first step but it needs someone to copy-paste the code and run it into the software. For example, when calculators were invented, it didn’t mean mathematicians lost their job or got replaced by calculators. Same with programmers, they can use AI as their assistance but the major work needs to be done by them manually. 

With the development of AI, programmers will get assistance from these AI tools but won’t replace them. However, there’s a high possibility that junior developers/SDE-1 can get replaced by AI. The easiest tasks like copy-pasting the codes can easily be done by ChatGPT now which makes it the perfect tool for cost-cutting in any organization. 

To save yourself from the heat, you need to upgrade your skills and thinking ability. Upgrade your thinking ability like understanding the client and business’s requirements, debugging the code, planning how the software should work, finding and fixing mistakes, testing the software, and making it better based on feedback. These are some of the tasks that AI can never do. So, programmers are safe as long as they upgrade their skills and beat the computer in their own game. 

Resources that will help you upgrade yourself:

• C Tutorial
• C++ Tutorial
• Java Tutorial
• Python Tutorial

2. Hardware Technicians

While AI can provide suggestions and recommendations for hardware issues, AI cannot physically repair or replace hardware components. 

If someone’s computer is malfunctioning, he won’t go to ChatGPT or Bard to get it fixed. These AI tools can provide some data and information on how to fix hardware problems but one needs a hardware technician to resolve the issue. So, what exactly do hardware technicians?

A hardware technician diagnoses and repairs problems with computer components, such as CPUs, motherboards, and hard drives. To fix issues and ensure that the computer runs properly, they often work with specialized tools and equipment. This job role will never be replaced by AI (unless it grows a pair of hands).

3. Network Engineers

Although AI can help troubleshoot network issues and provide some automation support, network engineers are responsible for designing, building, and maintaining complex computer networks. 

Network engineers won’t become obsolete just because AI has come into existence. AI tools like chatgpt or GPT-4 can only do automation to a certain limit. When there is a cloud outage, chatgpt won’t be able to fix it and will require manual intervention.

ChatGPT cannot do tasks like subnetting, device configs, QoS, tailoring the networking experience to your unique environment, or running the cable. So, network engineers will always be in-demand. 

The only way to beat the AI is to adapt and upgrade. They still require a good understanding of computer networking and how it works. It includes how information is sent between devices and how different types of software and hardware work together. 

They also need to keep learning about new technologies like cloud computing and learn about IPv6 and automation so they can stay up-to-date with the latest advances. By upgrading their computer networking knowledge, they can keep themselves out of the AI chatbot battle. 

4. Cybersecurity Analysts

While AI can identify potential threats and vulnerabilities, a cybersecurity analyst’s job is to proactively protect an organization’s digital assets and respond to incidents in real-time. So the answer to “Will AI replace Cybersecurity Analyst?” is a big NO.

Although AI, such as ChatGPT or GPT-4, can aid in automating certain cybersecurity tasks such as identifying and addressing security incidents, it cannot replace the essential skills of human analysts, such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and strategic decision-making. 

We know that every day there’s a new cybersecurity threat that is continuously changing with time and to prevent and stay ahead of upcoming threats, human expertise is absolutely needed to protect computer systems and networks from unauthorized hacking, theft, and damage. 

This is where AI will help as a tool to enhance the work of cybersecurity analysts, allowing them to work more efficiently and effectively, rather than replacing them completely.

5. Risk Analyst

AI is a valuable tool in risk analysis, providing risk analysts with powerful predictive and analytical capabilities. However, there are certain areas in which AI is limited, such as in assessing human behavior and psychology, weighing ethical considerations, and making decisions based on incomplete or biased data. 

Certain risks are unique to emerging technologies or industries where data is scarce or difficult to analyze. As such, while AI can augment the capabilities of risk analysts, it cannot entirely replace the need for human expertise in these critical areas.

When it comes to risk analysis, risk analysts have to evaluate ethical considerations and weigh potential impact on shareholders along with assessing the situation with emotional intelligence and judgment. So, being a risk analyst will going to do you good only without the risk of AI taking the job role.

6. Project Managers

While AI can help with scheduling and task management, project managers are responsible for overseeing the entire project, including planning, budgeting, and resource allocation. AI like ChatGPT, GPT-4, Bard, and other tools don’t have hands-on training or experience to do these tasks.

When it comes to leadership, communication, stakeholder management, and decision-making, AI will directly give up because it’s a data-feeding ML tool, unlike project managers.

AI can be seen as an extension of a project management process but replacing a project manager is out of the question. Adapting to evolving circumstances, understanding and handling team interactions, and sustaining a comprehensive perspective of the project’s goals are crucial abilities that project managers must possess, and these skills demand human intuition, creativity, and expertise which AI can’t do.

So, project managers are in a safe zone and can continue for another 10-20 decades without the fear of having themselves fired due to ChatGPT.

7. IT Trainers

IT trainers are basically teachers who develop training programs and deliver training sessions that are tailored to the needs of specific audiences. AI can never replace teachers or trainers from the IT field.

ChatGPT or GPT-4 can revolutionize training by offering mass resources in front of the screen but the communication and human interaction that IT trainers can bring to the table is unmatched by AI.

IT trainers are crucial in helping learners to understand intricate concepts, offering support, responding to queries, and providing practical illustrations and experiences. They can adjust their teaching style to accommodate various learning styles and offer personalized feedback to enrich the learning process.

Moreover, they can also provide valuable guidance on industry trends, best practices, and soft skills like communication, leadership, and problem-solving, which are pivotal for succeeding in IT careers. So, being a trainer in the IT field will only keep you in an advantageous position during the dusk of AI emergence.

Conclusion

Ever since tractors were made, they didn’t take away farmers’ jobs. Yes, a certain amount of farmers lost their job due to the technological revolution. But they’ve adapted and upgraded them and now technology is assisting them in farming in a more advanced way. The same is happening with the above-mentioned IT jobs AI can’t replace right now or in the near future. If you’re looking to get yourself upgraded with new skills or looking for a way to get into a career that ChatGPT can’t take back from you. You can certainly opt for these job roles.