The AI boom is changing tools, expectations and hiring odds for engineers. A World Economic Forum report finds that employers expect about 39 percent of workers' core skills to change by 2030. A June 2026 report by PwC names technology, media and telecom as the sectors with the fastest skill turnover.
The AI boom is changing how engineers work: new tools must be learned, expectations for daily team output are rising, and getting hired has become harder. According to a 2025 World Economic Forum report, employers across all sectors expect about 39 percent of workers' core skills to change by 2030. A June 2026 report from consultancy PwC shows that jobs in technology, media and telecom face the fastest skill turnover.
Samantha Brunhaver, an associate professor of engineering at Arizona State University, has studied since 2020, with funding from the National Science Foundation, how young engineers can build adaptability. Her interviews with managers, early career employees and students show that every employer defines adaptability differently. For her, the term means recognizing a change and responding to it effectively, though the specific form varies by field, such as shifting software tools or new regulations.
It remains unclear how universities and companies can systematically teach adaptability when even the definition is inconsistent. For HR leaders, the task is to set their own criteria for adaptability and make them visible in hiring and training, rather than relying on the general appeal to just be adaptable.
What this means for decision-makers
- Define what adaptability means concretely in your company instead of leaving the term open.
- Build training formats that help teams shift to new AI tools.
- Factor skill turnover forecasts such as the 39 percent figure into your training planning.
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