From celebration to trepidation: reactions to the rise of artificial intelligence in the workplace are running the gamut among STEM students and professionals today. AI is already transforming society in complex ways, for sure, but beyond that reality, the view of the future is uncertain, even for experts using the awesome analytical tools of AI itself. Some see the technology as an existential threat to STEM professions. Others view it as the dawn of a new era of unprecedented personal growth for STEM practitioners aiming to “succeed professionally.”
A few trends follow, about the future of employment in engineering and tech:
- Increased efficiency and accuracy of work
- High demand for workers skilled at collaborating with AI
- Automation of routine tasks often performed by early-career professionals (job displacement)
- Freeing of time for engineers and technologists to continuously create, innovate and strategize
- Greater need for continuing education and training of STEM professionals
So what’s the bottom line for NSBE professionals and AI? We defer to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, which is incorporating the potential labor market impacts of AI into its projections. The agency projects that employment in engineering and architecture positions will continue to grow faster than the average for all occupations during the next eight years, with 195,000 job openings expected each year through 2033. As for now, the median annual wage for engineering and architecture professionals is $97,310, compared with $49,500 for occupations overall.
True when NSBE was founded more than five decades ago, and true in the age of AI, today: completing an engineering education remains at or near the top of best career moves to make in a rapidly changing economy.
