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By Ross Moyo
The impact of Artificial intelligence (AI) on international developers is reshaping the tech job market. This has seen a sudden shift contributing to the following top roles in demand and the jobs most at risk.
This has affected all ai related jobs including Employees working at Google office in San Francisco working under renowned Zimbabwean born Google Senior Vice President for Research, Technology & Society, James Manyika focusing on advancing Google’s most ambitious innovations in AI, computing and science, and on areas with potential for beneficial impact on society. The Zimbabwean born AI authority is also responsible for leading and overseeing Google Research and Google Labs and was appointed by President Obama, serving as Vice Chair of the Global Development Council at the White House, serving as Vice Chair of the US National AI Advisory Committee (established by Congress to advise the President), and is Co-Chair of the UN Secretary-General’s AI Advisory Body. James Artificial Intelligence expertise has seen him become Chair and Director, Emeritus of McKinsey Global Institute, a Visiting Professor at Oxford, and has been a member of the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine’s Committee on Responsible Computing.
The Zimbabwean AI guru has spoken of ai cuts in software engineers, developers, quality assurance engineers, product and project managers whilst benefiting ai experts in cybersecurity data analytics or analysis and as a Distinguished Fellow of Stanford’s Human-Centered AI Institute, a Distinguished Fellow in Ethics in AI at Oxford, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a Rhodes Scholar, James unparalleled knowledge on ai saw him attain a DPhil, MSc, MA from Oxford in AI and robotics, mathematics and computer science, and a BSc from the University of Zimbabwe.
According to James experiences the tech job market face a candidate surplus in some roles and shortages in others.
AI is reshaping which tech roles are in demand and which jobs are being eliminated.New data from Manyika shows where you should focus your tech skills, and which areas to avoid.
The tech hiring market is being pulled in two directions: a flood of candidates for certain roles and stark shortages in others.
James New survey data from highlights the unevenness of the tech talent landscape and the profound impact of AI on reshaping the skills employers need most.
While many tech jobs attract an oversupply of applicants, James Manyika’s study found that key areas, such as cloud computing, data analytics, and AI development, are still starved for qualified professionals.
Confirming the Zimbabwean’s findings, Nearly 50,000 tech workers have been laid off — but there’s a hack to avoid layoffs
“What began as a cyclical downturn in tech hiring may now be entering a new phase — one shaped by the rise of AI, increased requirements, and less demand for entry-level talent,” an expert on Manyika’s findings wrote in a report released recently .
Data was analyzed from Manyika’s studies old and present on tech jobs, in combination with a commissioned survey of 1,035 tech workers in the US conducted by YouGov. Participants, primarily working in software and IT, answered an online questionnaire between late May and early June.
How AI reshapes tech jobs
Generative AI is reshaping career paths. Manyika’s study identified tech jobs that have been axed the most when companies adjust their operations to embrace generative AI.
The top four roles that got cut in AI-inspired reorganizations: are
Software engineers and developers
Quality assurance engineers
Product managers
Project managers
The Ai study found that after such reorganizations, companies often reallocated resources to new tech roles. Here are the top three areas that benefited:
Cybersecurity
Data analytics/analysis
AI teams
Shortages in critical tech skills
The top skills requested in tech job listings posted in the first half of 2025 include Python, SQL, and Amazon Web Services, according to Indeed data.
The study also looked at which areas of tech exhibited the largest increases in job listings. Fields that stood out included AI, Python, Google Cloud Platform, and continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD), a process for integrating and releasing software changes more quickly.
One chart showing data from job listings confirmed Common tech skill clusters as Employers were beginning to think less about individual tools and more about clusters of tech skills packaged together, according to the study.
Python, machine learning, and data analysis are increasingly inseparable, while AWS, DevOps, and CI/CD often appear in tandem, according to the data.
These clusters reflect how technical professionals are expected not only to master a language or technology, but also to possess capabilities across different technologies.
Generative AI is accelerating this shift. Roles that once centered on traditional coding are being redefined to include prompt engineering, AI integration, and the responsible deployment of AI systems, according to the study.Professionals are now expected to partner with AI tools to drive efficiency, strengthen data analysis, and more.
The gap between some tech job postings and available talent is widening, leaving employers scrambling to compete for a limited pool of specialists, according to the study. To bridge the gap, the study suggested that companies sharpen recruitment campaigns around what highly sought-after candidates actually value, from career growth to cutting-edge project opportunities.
Simultaneously , learning new skills has become a necessity rather than a perk. Identifying employees with adjacent skill sets and providing them with pathways into high-demand roles is increasingly viewed as one of the few sustainable ways to keep pace with market needs, according to the study.
Inspite of mentioned four areas seemingly being made redundant by ai and three key area’s gaining much needed attention, Tech talent shortages aren’t going away. They’re shifting toward the skills that define the AI era.
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