OPPORTUNITY, NOT OBSOLESCENCE

How Automation Is Pushing Tech Talent to Pivot, Not Perish

- BY PAROMITA GUPTA

In 2025, a silent revolution is sweeping through tech teams and codebases, changing the dynamics of how work gets done. Task automation, a process of applying technology to complete a task or augment a workflow to improve, is altering how and by whom the work gets done. Hence, the question arises: Will automating tasks put tech jobs at risk? In 2017, a McKinsey and Co. report stated that nearly half of all work would be automated by 2055. In 2020, the World Economic Forum (WEF) noted that, as the workforce automated faster than expected, it anticipated 85 million jobs to be displaced in the next five years, while in 2025, WEF anticipates 92 million jobs would be displaced by 2030.

Over 150,000 tech workers were laid off by 551 companies in 2024, according to Layoffs.fyi, a global independent job layoff tracker. The Grand View Research report states that the global industrial automation and control systems market size was estimated at USD 206.33 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach USD 378.57 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 10.8 per cent. Entrepreneur India spoke to industry leaders who unanimously believe that many of these jobs will be transformed rather than eliminated.

WHEN TO AUTOMATE

K. A. Prabhakaran of Cyient notes that one should view AI as a catalyst for redefining how work gets done. “Tasks that are repetitive, rules-driven, or highly transactional, such as basic data processing, standard testing, or monitoring, are some areas that could use automation. However, this shift opens up opportunities to elevate roles toward more strategic, creative, and complex problem-solving work,” shares the senior vice president and chief technology officer, Cyient.