Engineers at frontlines of AI are least optimistic about it, shows report
Even as AI reshapes workforces across India, those closest to building and deploying it—engineers—appear the most anxious about its impact on their careers. According to the
Upskilling Trends Report
2025–26 released by edtech firm Great Learning, only 64% of BE/B Tech graduates reported a positive outlook on AI, compared to 89% of MBA graduates and 84% of B Com holders.
This unease comes despite engineers being the earliest adopters and drivers of the technology.
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'Most of the disruption driven by AI and especially GenAI is currently being felt in engineering roles,' said Hari Krishnan Nair, co-founder of Great Learning. 'Entry-level jobs in tech — whether in QA, development or DevOps — are either being changed in nature or becoming redundant.'
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That disruption is already visible in hiring patterns. The report notes that 69% of professionals believe their roles are being disrupted by technology, with AI cited as the chief driver.
Yet, the mood is paradoxically upbeat: 78% still express a positive outlook about AI's long-term impact on their careers.
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But optimism varies sharply across functions and cities.
Professionals in Tier-1 cities and large companies report higher confidence in retaining their jobs. About 73% of respondents said they are confident of job retention in FY26, up 11 percentage points from the previous year. This number rises to 85% among employees in companies with over 5,000 staff but falls to 58% in firms with under 50 employees.
Nair said the shift in optimism stems from both exposure and pressure. 'Those without relevant skills face a much higher risk of obsolescence,' he said.
With more than eight out of 10 professionals (82%) in job search mode, the report flags that job switching is on the rise, with 51% actively looking and another 31% passively exploring new roles.
Challenges in the job market are also acute: 43% cite high competition, 43% say salary expectations aren't met, and 35% identify the need for new certifications as barriers.
Meanwhile, AI and machine learning dominate professionals'
upskilling
interests, chosen by 44%, followed by software development (36%), cyber security (35%), and data science (35%). Among AI subdomains, generative AI, Python, and agentic AI saw high interest.
Interestingly, while 80% of professionals say they use GenAI to learn, and 60% use it frequently at work, Nair doesn't see large language models as threats to learning platforms. 'Resources (to learn) were always there. But learning needs structure, feedback, interaction and support,' he said. 'Most need guidance, assessments, and peer learning.'
He added that Great Learning is using GenAI to enhance its own offerings, such as real-time feedback in programming tasks and learner support via integrated AI tools.
And yet, the interest in structured learning remains high. 81% of professionals plan to upskill this year, though 37% cite office workload as their biggest barrier. Certificates—especially those from Indian universities—have overtaken degrees in popularity, reflecting a desire for targeted, short-term, skill-based learning.
As Nair put it, 'The urge to upskill has always been about career outcomes. Today, AI is simply the new lever.'
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