Artificial intelligence is undoubtedly changing the way people work. In information technology, where new tools and technologies have always reshaped the industry, that change is happening quickly. 

That change has caused IT students to start saying the quiet part out loud: Are IT jobs next to disappear?

Not according to IT instructors at Chippewa Valley Technical College.

They aren't suggesting AI won't change the industry. In fact, they expect the industry to be changed significantly. But they also see a future where skilled IT professionals are more important than ever. Someone still needs to understand the technology, put it to work, protect it and help people use it.

Here are five reasons CVTC instructors say AI isn't coming for IT jobs.

1. Someone has to understand the technology

AI can produce impressive results, but that doesn't mean everyone using it understands what is happening behind the scenes.

Stephen Casselman, CVTC IT-Network Specialist instructor, says the rapid adoption of AI is actually highlighting the need for people with strong technical knowledge.

“With the rise of artificial intelligence, we are seeing a surge of people using powerful tools they do not fully understand,” Casselman said.

That creates an opportunity for IT professionals. Organizations will need people who understand how AI works, how it should be implemented and how it fits into their existing technology infrastructure. At CVTC, that means AI isn't something students can ignore.

“As a school and a program, we are ensuring that artificial intelligence is integrated into everything we do,” Casselman said.

AI may become another tool in an IT professional's toolbox, but knowing which tool to use, when to use it and how to use it effectively still requires expertise.

2. IT isn't just something that happens on a computer

For all the attention surrounding software and AI, much of information technology remains physical.

IT professionals install and maintain equipment, build networks, run cables, rack servers and troubleshoot problems in real-world environments. They also work with the people who depend on those systems every day.

“Information Technology is not just a job behind a computer screen,” Casselman said.

AI can assist with many digital tasks, but it can't replace the hands-on expertise required to physically install and maintain technology infrastructure or the human interaction that comes with supporting an organization.

3. AI creates new problems for IT professionals to solve

AI isn't just changing the tools IT professionals use. It is also changing the problems they have to solve.

Cybersecurity is a prime example.

As AI makes it easier for people to create, automate and scale attacks, organizations need professionals who can recognize those threats and protect their systems.

“From a cybersecurity perspective, threat actors now have access to tools that drastically simplify their efforts,” Casselman said. “As a result, the complexity and frequency of attacks are rapidly rising and becoming much harder to detect.”

That means IT professionals will need to understand the same technology being used against them.

In other words, AI isn't removing the need for cybersecurity professionals. It is becoming another technology they need to master.

4. AI may change jobs, but it also creates new ones

Shawn Creviston, CVTC IT-Software Developer instructor, is more cautious about predicting exactly where AI will take the industry.

“I have no idea where AI will be in the future,” he said. “All I know is that AI is making huge advancements and will be twice as capable next year as it is this year.”

Creviston doesn't dismiss the possibility that AI will reduce the number of people needed for certain tasks. But he also sees new opportunities emerging.

Organizations may need people to protect systems from AI, manage internal AI models, operate AI infrastructure or develop AI-powered applications and agents.

Creviston compares the shift to automation in the automotive industry. As robots took over some basic, repetitive, heavy or hazardous tasks, the jobs didn't simply disappear. The work changed, and the skills required changed with it.

“AI is like moving three floors up,” Creviston said. “Entry level is now where intermediate was.”

That shift may create uncertainty, but it also creates demand for workers who are prepared for the new technology.

5. AI can make IT professionals more productive, but it can't replace the human connection

Josh Huhmann and Eric Brusky, both CVTC IT-Network Specialist instructors, are already seeing ways AI is changing the work IT professionals do.

They haven't seen AI eliminate jobs in their area. Instead, they say it has pushed technicians to work in areas where they may have less familiarity, improved the speed of research and given IT professionals more flexibility to accomplish new objectives.

Some tasks that once took significant time can now be accelerated dramatically.

But there’s a flip side. People still want to talk to people.

Huhmann and Brusky have seen end users become frustrated when they receive an AI chatbot instead of a real person when they need help.

That points to something easy to overlook in conversations about AI. Technology doesn't eliminate the need for human relationships.

IT professionals aren't simply solving technical problems. They're helping coworkers, customers and organizations navigate those problems. They have to ask questions, understand what someone actually needs, explain solutions and sometimes figure out what a person is trying to say when the problem isn't easily described.

AI can help with that work. It doesn't necessarily replace the person doing it.

The IT industry has changed before

For Casselman, the current AI transformation is another chapter in a long history of technological change.

Cybersecurity, cloud computing and smartphones have all fundamentally changed the IT industry. Each created new challenges, new tools and new skill requirements.

AI is doing the same thing.

“None of this means our industry is immune to the AI wave; rather, our roles are being enhanced by it,” Casselman said.

The IT professionals entering the workforce today may do some things differently than those who entered the industry 10 or 20 years ago. They may use AI every day to research problems, write code, analyze information, manage systems or defend networks.

But they'll still need to understand what they're doing. And they'll need to keep learning.

“One of the greatest benefits of a career in information technology is being at the forefront of these major global shifts,” Casselman said. “As always, we will adapt, continue to learn, and improve our field.”

That's perhaps the biggest takeaway from the instructors' perspectives.

The question may not be whether AI will change IT jobs. Instructors agree it will.

The question is whether IT professionals will be prepared to change with it.

At CVTC, that's exactly what instructors are preparing students to do.