AI is pushing the tech job market

AI is disrupting the IT job market—and for companies that need trained talent, the answer may lie with existing staff.

Upskilling current workers to work with AI can be an effective solution to the tech talent crisis, said Daniele Grassi, CEO of training hub General Assembly. Grassi and his team recently released the company’s State of Tech Talent 2026 report, which indicates that 80% of HR pros believe upskilling staff AI capabilities will be a path forward.

“All companies, particularly large enterprises, are redefining the way they look at the workforce,” Grassi said. “They need to be more strategic in the way they look at it, they cannot take just a short-term or a reactive approach, as sometimes it has been in the past—and upskilling and reskilling the internal employees is a critical part of the equation.”

Slow down, you move too fast. Still, there are hurdles to the process. General Assembly survey respondents in the HR space listed the barriers to training, including, low participation and buy-in on the part of employees (36%) and low buy-in from leadership (32%). Meanwhile, 47% of all companies say a lack of time is the biggest roadblock, with 46% citing budget.

“It’s important that, up front, the individual knows why this is important and is driving the learning initiative on his side, but also that the company has a clear understanding of the return of the training,” Grassi told IT Brew. “This cannot be just a check-the-box exercise.”

Breaking it down. The impact of AI on the job market is real. Skill requirements are on the rise, even as more specialized roles face shaky prospects. And certifications, which are a way of measuring prospective employees’ capabilities, present an opportunity for many job-seekers to stand out.

Hiring across the board at Fortune 500 companies has been roiled by the technology, as highlighted in a new report from labor and market data company Draup. With AI integration on the rise, employers are looking for “AI skills that involve operating, governing, and scaling AI in enterprises rather than building AI.”

For IT pros working through this turbulence—considering who and when to hire, whether upskilling is best—it’s important to remember that AI is going to impact different parts of the business in different ways. HR, IT, and marketing all have separate needs and expectations.

“All these populations will need to have a certain level of AI literacy,” Grassi said.