Dear Reader,

Since the release of ChatGPT to the public in November 2022, we have witnessed the beginnings of one of the most transformative technological revolutions in history. In my lifetime, I have seen only three tech innovations that compare in scope, impact and opportunity: desktop computing, the Internet and smartphones. So to say generative AI is big is an understatement; it’s life-altering, and especially when it comes to the world of tech careers and hiring.

As most tech professionals are well aware, AI itself is far from new. For many companies, however, the dawn of GenAI is their first direct contact with artificial intelligence. As you've already been seeing, the reaction has been markedly mixed.

The Early Adopters are elated, and moving forward as quickly as they can to implement the technology in every application possible. The Laggards on the other end of the spectrum are hoping that AI is a fad that dies out before it affects their business and day-to-day. Everyone else is in the messy middle, and that's what we're hearing from most tech professionals as well.

It's no secret that the meteoric rise of GenAI has been uniquely turbulent for tech professionals. For those already adept at building LLMs, there's been a continuing boom, although they were in high demand well before ChatGPT hit the market. For others, GenAI has stoked fears of AI being able to make jobs redundant. More still, they are experimenting with the technology with varying levels of success. A word I'm hearing often is "uncertainty" — it's unclear what the future holds and just how broad and deep the impact AI will have on tech jobs and careers.

All of these reactions are valid. My perspective on GenAI at the highest level is that it’s not here to replace tech professionals. It is, however, a technology that offers many tech professionals a way to separate themselves from their peers who are not skilled in GenAI applications.

Through the lens of opportunity, and because we are on the frontier of this technology, there are few who truly understand it, giving you an advantage from your place as a tech professional to upskill and adjust your knowledge base to meet the rapidly shifting demands of the tech market.

We’ve put together this guide to help you understand AI, and the human skills that make it possible, a bit better.

In it we cover:

• How is AI impacting the business landscape?
• What are the current AI job trends?
• What kind of AI roles are out there and how can this inform your career decisions?
• What are the core skills you might need to be successful?
• How can you upskill your technical and soft skills to be competetive in this market?

The future of tech careers is undeniably intertwined with AI. We hope you will choose to see this as an opportunity, and take the steps you need to realize it for the potential it is. As always, thank you for your time and remember that Dice is here to help you at every stage of your career journey.

Art Zeile

CEO, Dice