Instead of eliminating jobs for early-career cyber pros, AI is creating new opportunities for candidates with strong human decision-making skills.
June 26, 2026
AI-driven automation in cybersecurity operations certainly is not new, but there is no question that AI is reshaping entry-level cybersecurity jobs and in-demand skills. In an ISC2 AI and cybersecurity workforce survey, 44% of respondents said their organizations are reconsidering roles and skill needs in response to AI security tool adoption, while the 2025 ISC2 Cybersecurity Workforce Study found that AI skills represented the most pressing skills need, cited by 41% of participants who reported at least one skills need on their security teams. What's more, 31% think adoption of AI security tools could create new entry-level roles or increase demand for entry-level roles.
Look past the data for a moment. Simply perusing entry-level cybersecurity job descriptions reveals this change playing out. One could argue that the cybersecurity profession is simply experiencing a natural drift related to changing technology. The point here is that cybersecurity roles have always evolved alongside the technology of the day. The difference the profession is facing today, though, is that AI has kicked in an acceleration of the cycle of shifting skills needs.
