Why AI Has Not, and Cannot, Take All the Cybersecurity Jobs
TLDR: Tech Changes. A Lot.
Why AI Has Not, and Cannot, Take All the Cybersecurity Jobs
Hello, Hoodies!
Every few months, Twitter, LinkedIn, and random group chats revive the same panic:
“AI is going to take all the cybersecurity jobs.”
But here’s the paradox no one mentions:
AI is older than cybersecurity.
Like… decades older.
Artificial Intelligence as a field dates back to the 1950s. (Dartmouth Workshop, 1956 - seriously, look it up. Fascinating stuff.)
The earliest documented use of the word “cybersecurity” doesn’t show up until the 1980s.
So for over 30 years, AI existed before cybersecurity was even a discipline.
If AI was going to erase all the cyber jobs,
WHY HASN’T IT YET?
Maybe it’s because it wasn’t powerful enough. That’s a fair point.
Here’s my take.
It still can’t.
Let’s break down why.
1. People Only Worry Now Because AI Is Finally in Their Face
AI has been in research labs, DARPA projects, and academic circles for decades.
But public awareness is new.
When ChatGPT made AI accessible to normal humans, suddenly everyone projected existential doom onto every industry:
“Copywriting is dead.”
“Coding is dead.”
“Cybersecurity is dead.”
Yet the data shows the opposite:
AI increases demand for skilled humans.
Now, let’s be clear:
AI DOES remove jobs that are mostly repetitive tasks.
And now AI also removes the pure need for basic entry level coding
And AI is getting more powerful all the time
BUT cybersecurity isn’t even in the practical discussion.
2. Cybersecurity Is Not, And Never Will Be, a Solved Problem
Here’s the uncomfortable truth:
Even if the entire internet reached 100% perfect security for one single moment…
it would stay that way until the next:
zero-day
misconfiguration
cloud permission mistake
phishing lure
social engineering pretext
SaaS integration bug
supply-chain exploit
insider threat
unpatched dependency
malicious AI-generated malware variant
Security is a moving target.
The ground never stops shifting.
AI doesn’t eliminate problems.
It accelerates the creation of new ones.
Which means cybersecurity demand compounds, not vanishes.
3. AI Didn’t Take the Jobs in 2022, 2023, 2024, or 2025
We’ve lived through multiple “This is it! AI will take all the cyber jobs!” cycles.
Let’s check the scoreboard:
2022: “ChatGPT will replace analysts!”
→ Cyber job openings increased.2023: “GPT-4 can do security audits!”
→ Breaches went up.2024: “AI can uncover zero days!”
→ Breaches went up. Again.2025: “Autonomous agents will fully manage SOCs!”
→ You STILL need someone to verify the outputs.
With every year of AI advancement, the cyber workforce demand remains one of the highest in all of tech.
If AI was going to replace defenders, why does every Fortune 1000 company still have a hiring backlog?
4. And It Won’t Take Them in 2026 Either
2026 will look like every other year:
New tools
New threats
New vulnerabilities
New AI-accelerated attacks
New compliance frameworks
New regulatory pressure
New need for actual humans to make judgment calls
AI is a multiplier, not a replacement.
Attackers use AI.
Defenders use AI.
Hiring continues on both sides.
5. The Winning Move: Start Today and Be Employed by 2026
Right now, most people are frozen by fear.
They hear “AI this” and “AI that,” and instead of taking action, they wait.
They hesitate.
They watch TikToks about job doom.
Meanwhile…
The people who start learning cybersecurity today
Will be the ones employed in 2026
When everyone else is “certain” the jobs are gone
The next 3-6 months will be the biggest skill-accumulation window of your life.
Don’t waste it.
If You Need a Sign, Here it is
✅ Join our free Skool cybersecurity community
An active space filled with future cyber professionals leveling up together.
(Free, zero risk, insane upside.)
✅ Or book a call with our team
If you’re serious about transforming your career,
we’ll walk you through a proven path—
from zero experience to hired.
Your life can look radically different 12 months from now.
AI isn’t the threat.
Staying stagnant is.
Let’s build your future before someone else takes the job that should’ve been yours.
That’s all for now. GREAT things coming for the substack in 2026!
Cheers,
Evan Lutz (BowTiedCyber)