Reskilling for the Age of AI

A silent transformation is unfolding in the IT-business process management (BPM) sector. As artificial intelligence reshapes industries, professionals find themselves at a crossroads.

- RITUPARNA CHAKRABORTY

The hard truth? The job market is splitting into two distinct catego-ries—AI creators and AI operators. Those who build, refine and push AI forward will dictate the rules, while those who merely use AI will see their roles commoditised and, in some cases, obsolete.

For the millions of professionals in their 30s and 40s working in IT services, software development and business process management, this is an inflection point. Their expertise, honed over decades, faces a test unlike any before.

In a landscape where AI can write code, automate workflows and optimise processes at lightning speed, what remains for the human workforce? The answer: strategic reskilling. Not the kind mandated by corporate training programmes but a deep, intentional shift in learning and career ownership.

A McKinsey Global Institute study predicts that nearly 375mn workers worldwide will need to shift occupations or acquire new skills by 2030 due to AI and automation.

The IT-BPM sector is particularly vulnerable, as AI increasingly automates repetitive coding, quality assurance, customer support and even complex analytics.

The middle layer of tech professionals—those managing routine programming, infrastructure support and maintenance—faces the greatest risk. Companies will still offer upskilling programmes, but these are often reactionary and designed to fill immediate business needs.

The professionals who will thrive in the AI age will be those who take control of their learning beyond corporate-sponsored courses. They will need to ask themselves: Do I want to be an AI creator or an AI operator?

Designing the Future