Ignoring AI in IT: Risk of Layoffs Triples — Shocking Research Data
The labor market in the technology sector is undergoing a fundamental transformation. According to a large-scale survey, specialists who refuse to use artificial intelligence (AI) or use it less than once a month face a risk of dismissal three times higher than their colleagues who actively integrate AI into their daily work.
These figures reveal a harsh reality: job retention today depends not only on position and qualifications but also on the willingness to adapt to new technologies. Among laid-off employees, 62% admitted that they either did not use AI at all or did so very rarely. In comparison, among those who kept their jobs, this figure stands at 50%. Moreover, 28% of working specialists actively and frequently use AI, whereas among the laid-off, only 22% do so.
Tech sector under pressure: where AI is already changing the rules of the game
This trend is particularly acute in the technology industry, where the share of laid-off workers is already high—13% compared to 6% on average across the market. Within the tech sector itself, the gap between "advanced AI users" and "skeptics" is enormous. Employees who do not use AI on a regular basis face a triple risk of redundancy compared to those who have integrated neural networks into their daily workflow.
"Employees who did not use AI turned out to be more vulnerable in the labor market," the researchers note. "Within the tech sector, which already shows a higher level of layoffs, workers who did not integrate AI into their routine were at the greatest risk."
Notably, only 1% of respondents directly link their layoffs to the adoption of AI, although 21% of those surveyed reported layoffs in early 2026. This suggests that AI acts not so much as a direct cause but as a marker of a team's readiness for change. Companies prefer to retain those who demonstrate flexibility and the ability to work with new tools.
Expert opinion: The labor market in the crypto industry and related technology fields has always been dynamic, but now we are witnessing a tectonic shift. AI has ceased to be just a tool—it has become a criterion for evaluating professionalism. In the coming quarters, we will see that those who continue to ignore the technology risk not just falling behind but completely dropping out of the game. Adaptation is not a matter of choice but a matter of survival in the new reality.