12 answers
Nicholas
Student
Zürich, Switzerland
1
Question
Updated
559 views
Will AI take over cybersecurity jobs?
How likely is it that cybersecurity jobs will be taken over by AI Is it still advisable to start a career-path in this field and how best to go about it?
I am in 7th grade in Switzerland and start my career selection next year and am not sure if this is a good direction or not.
Login to comment
12 answers
Ashish Mishra
Digital Transformation Lead
15
Answers
Gurugram, Haryana, India
Updated
Ashish’s Answer
AI is transforming cybersecurity, but it isn't taking away jobs. Instead, it's helping professionals work more efficiently. Tasks like finding threats and analyzing data are now easier with AI tools. Yet, human skills are crucial for dealing with complex attacks and making important decisions. As cybercriminals also use AI, the need for skilled experts is growing. Cybersecurity jobs are secure and expanding, not disappearing. Starting a career in this field is still a smart choice for students. Begin by learning the basics, such as networking, security concepts, and simple programming. Practice in real-world labs and keep up with the latest trends in AI and security. By continually learning and adapting, you can build a strong and lasting career.
Chip Appel
Infrastructure and Cybersecurity lead
4
Answers
DeLand, Florida
Updated
Chip’s Answer
I've been looking into this, and it seems AI will transform cybersecurity jobs rather than get rid of them. AI handles repetitive tasks like basic analysis and alert sorting, but companies still need people to make important decisions, investigate threats, understand risks, and handle incidents. Reports show there's still a strong need for cyber experts, so the main change is in the skills required, not in losing jobs.
Chris Lovett
Senior Sales Consultant
8
Answers
London, England, United Kingdom
Updated
Chris’s Answer
THE BELOW IS MAINLY FROM GOOGLE GEMINI - so please do not take this as authoritative, merely some input.
It is completely normal to feel a bit of "AI anxiety" when thinking about your future, especially in a field like technology. Since you are in 7th grade in Switzerland, you are in a unique and strong position to navigate this.
The short answer is: Cybersecurity jobs are not being "taken over" by AI, but they are being transformed by it. It is still an excellent career path, but the "how" of getting there is changing.
1. Will AI take over Cybersecurity?
Think of AI as a super-tool, not a replacement.
What AI does better: It can scan millions of lines of code in seconds, find common patterns of a virus, and automate boring tasks like sorting through log files.
What Humans do better: AI lacks intuition, ethics, and strategic thinking. A hacker is a human who thinks creatively to bypass rules; an AI can only follow the rules it was trained on. Humans are needed to decide which risks are worth taking and to manage the "human element" (like social engineering/phishing).
The Reality for 2026: You won't be replaced by AI. You might, however, be replaced by a human who knows how to use AI better than you.
2. Is it still advisable to start this career?
In Switzerland specifically, the demand for cybersecurity experts is high and growing. Swiss companies (especially in banking, pharma, and government) are very protective of their data and prefer local experts.
The "Senior Squeeze": Current industry reports show that while AI is automating some "entry-level" tasks (like basic monitoring), there is a massive shortage of "senior" experts. This means if you can get through the initial learning phase, you will be in high demand for the rest of your life.
3. How to start in Switzerland (7th Grade Advice - from Google Gemini!)
Switzerland has one of the best education systems in the world for this. Since you start your "career selection" next year (8th grade), you have two main paths:
Path A: The Apprenticeship (Informatiker EFZ) - This is the "Swiss Gold Standard." You work 3-4 days a week in a company and go to school for 1-2 days.
Specialization: Look for "Informatiker EFZ Fachrichtung Plattfommentwicklung" (Platform Development). This is the best foundation for security.
Why do it? You get paid while learning, and you get "hands-on" experience that AI cannot replicate. By the time you are 20, you will have 4 years of real work experience.
Path B: The Academic Path (Gymnasium)
The Goal: Go to ETH Zurich or EPFL Lausanne. These are world-class universities for Computer Science.
Why do it? You will learn the deep math and logic behind AI and encryption. This path leads to high-level research or security architecture roles.
4. What you can do right now
You don’t need to wait until next year to start. Here is how you can "future-proof" yourself:
Learn to Script: Start with Python. It is the language of both AI and Cybersecurity.
Understand "Prompt Engineering": Don't just use AI to do your homework; learn how to give it complex instructions to solve logic puzzles.
Try "Capture the Flag" (CTF): These are gamified hacking challenges (like TryHackMe or Hack The Box). They teach you how to think like a hacker—something AI still struggles with.
Visit a "Schnupperlehre": Since you are in Switzerland, ask your parents or teachers to help you find a 2-3 day trial apprenticeship (Schnupperlehre) at an IT company like InfoGuard or Swisscom.
My Advice: Don't be afraid of the tech; be curious about it. The people who "win" in the age of AI are the ones who understand how the engine works, not just how to drive the car.
GOOD LUCK!!!
Don't just take my advice above which is mainly from Gemini! Ask around, and do your research. ALL THE BEST.
It is completely normal to feel a bit of "AI anxiety" when thinking about your future, especially in a field like technology. Since you are in 7th grade in Switzerland, you are in a unique and strong position to navigate this.
The short answer is: Cybersecurity jobs are not being "taken over" by AI, but they are being transformed by it. It is still an excellent career path, but the "how" of getting there is changing.
1. Will AI take over Cybersecurity?
Think of AI as a super-tool, not a replacement.
What AI does better: It can scan millions of lines of code in seconds, find common patterns of a virus, and automate boring tasks like sorting through log files.
What Humans do better: AI lacks intuition, ethics, and strategic thinking. A hacker is a human who thinks creatively to bypass rules; an AI can only follow the rules it was trained on. Humans are needed to decide which risks are worth taking and to manage the "human element" (like social engineering/phishing).
The Reality for 2026: You won't be replaced by AI. You might, however, be replaced by a human who knows how to use AI better than you.
2. Is it still advisable to start this career?
In Switzerland specifically, the demand for cybersecurity experts is high and growing. Swiss companies (especially in banking, pharma, and government) are very protective of their data and prefer local experts.
The "Senior Squeeze": Current industry reports show that while AI is automating some "entry-level" tasks (like basic monitoring), there is a massive shortage of "senior" experts. This means if you can get through the initial learning phase, you will be in high demand for the rest of your life.
3. How to start in Switzerland (7th Grade Advice - from Google Gemini!)
Switzerland has one of the best education systems in the world for this. Since you start your "career selection" next year (8th grade), you have two main paths:
Path A: The Apprenticeship (Informatiker EFZ) - This is the "Swiss Gold Standard." You work 3-4 days a week in a company and go to school for 1-2 days.
Specialization: Look for "Informatiker EFZ Fachrichtung Plattfommentwicklung" (Platform Development). This is the best foundation for security.
Why do it? You get paid while learning, and you get "hands-on" experience that AI cannot replicate. By the time you are 20, you will have 4 years of real work experience.
Path B: The Academic Path (Gymnasium)
The Goal: Go to ETH Zurich or EPFL Lausanne. These are world-class universities for Computer Science.
Why do it? You will learn the deep math and logic behind AI and encryption. This path leads to high-level research or security architecture roles.
4. What you can do right now
You don’t need to wait until next year to start. Here is how you can "future-proof" yourself:
Learn to Script: Start with Python. It is the language of both AI and Cybersecurity.
Understand "Prompt Engineering": Don't just use AI to do your homework; learn how to give it complex instructions to solve logic puzzles.
Try "Capture the Flag" (CTF): These are gamified hacking challenges (like TryHackMe or Hack The Box). They teach you how to think like a hacker—something AI still struggles with.
Visit a "Schnupperlehre": Since you are in Switzerland, ask your parents or teachers to help you find a 2-3 day trial apprenticeship (Schnupperlehre) at an IT company like InfoGuard or Swisscom.
My Advice: Don't be afraid of the tech; be curious about it. The people who "win" in the age of AI are the ones who understand how the engine works, not just how to drive the car.
GOOD LUCK!!!
Don't just take my advice above which is mainly from Gemini! Ask around, and do your research. ALL THE BEST.
Novell Patron
Governance Risk & Compliance
3
Answers
Richmond, Virginia
Updated
Novell’s Answer
Hi Nicholas, AI is a strong tool that can help with many tasks, like automation. Although some jobs might change, AI won't completely replace humans. It's important to check AI's work for mistakes and biases. When used properly, AI can be very helpful and improve many industries. Keep an eye on trends and metrics, especially in areas you're interested in.
Matthew Martin
Security Consulting
1
Answer
Proctor, Vermont
Updated
Matthew’s Answer
What a thoughtful question, especially from someone in 7th grade already thinking carefully about their future. Let me give you an honest answer.
The short version: No, AI is not going to take over cybersecurity jobs, but the field will look meaningfully different by the time you enter it. And yes, it's still a very promising direction, with some important caveats.
Here's the longer thinking.
AI is genuinely good at certain cybersecurity tasks: scanning enormous volumes of logs, spotting patterns humans would miss, automating repetitive analysis, and handling the first wave of alert triage. The entry-level work that used to involve staring at dashboards for hours is changing fast. That part is real, and pretending otherwise wouldn't help you.
But cybersecurity isn't really a technical field. It looks technical from the outside, but the hardest parts are about judgment. What does "good" actually look like for this specific company? Which risks matter and which don't? How do you explain to a CFO why they need to spend money on something that, if you do your job perfectly, results in nothing visible happening? How do you write a policy that humans will actually follow? When a breach happens at 2am, who do you call, what do you say, and how do you make decisions when the information is incomplete and everyone is panicking? AI can help with all of these, but it cannot own them. Someone has to be accountable, exercise judgment, understand the business, and bring creativity to problems that have never been seen before, because attackers are creative humans too.
The people who will struggle are those who learned cybersecurity as a checklist of tools and procedures. The people who will thrive are those who understand security as a conversation between technology, business, governance, and human behavior. AI becomes a tool that elevates their thinking rather than replaces it, similar to how calculators didn't eliminate mathematicians but changed what they spent their time on.
So my honest advice for someone your age in Switzerland, where you have an excellent education system and genuine career-path optionality:
Don't pick "cybersecurity" yet. Pick the foundations that make a great security professional, which also happen to make a great almost-anything professional. Build strong skills in mathematics and logical reasoning, learn to code (Python is a good start), develop your writing and communication in multiple languages (Switzerland gives you a real advantage here), and get genuinely curious about how systems work, whether that's computers, businesses, or human psychology. Read about famous breaches and incidents the way other people read mystery novels.
If you can, look into the Swiss apprenticeship pathways in IT (Informatiker EFZ) or the Gymnasium route toward ETH or EPFL, both of which have strong cybersecurity research. Switzerland actually has a growing cybersecurity sector, partly because of banking, partly because of organizations like CERN and the federal cyber agency NCSC.
The field you'll enter in roughly ten years will reward people who can think, communicate, understand business and governance, and use AI as a powerful collaborator. That's a good bet, not just for cybersecurity but for almost any knowledge work worth doing.
You're asking the right questions at the right time. Keep doing that.
The short version: No, AI is not going to take over cybersecurity jobs, but the field will look meaningfully different by the time you enter it. And yes, it's still a very promising direction, with some important caveats.
Here's the longer thinking.
AI is genuinely good at certain cybersecurity tasks: scanning enormous volumes of logs, spotting patterns humans would miss, automating repetitive analysis, and handling the first wave of alert triage. The entry-level work that used to involve staring at dashboards for hours is changing fast. That part is real, and pretending otherwise wouldn't help you.
But cybersecurity isn't really a technical field. It looks technical from the outside, but the hardest parts are about judgment. What does "good" actually look like for this specific company? Which risks matter and which don't? How do you explain to a CFO why they need to spend money on something that, if you do your job perfectly, results in nothing visible happening? How do you write a policy that humans will actually follow? When a breach happens at 2am, who do you call, what do you say, and how do you make decisions when the information is incomplete and everyone is panicking? AI can help with all of these, but it cannot own them. Someone has to be accountable, exercise judgment, understand the business, and bring creativity to problems that have never been seen before, because attackers are creative humans too.
The people who will struggle are those who learned cybersecurity as a checklist of tools and procedures. The people who will thrive are those who understand security as a conversation between technology, business, governance, and human behavior. AI becomes a tool that elevates their thinking rather than replaces it, similar to how calculators didn't eliminate mathematicians but changed what they spent their time on.
So my honest advice for someone your age in Switzerland, where you have an excellent education system and genuine career-path optionality:
Don't pick "cybersecurity" yet. Pick the foundations that make a great security professional, which also happen to make a great almost-anything professional. Build strong skills in mathematics and logical reasoning, learn to code (Python is a good start), develop your writing and communication in multiple languages (Switzerland gives you a real advantage here), and get genuinely curious about how systems work, whether that's computers, businesses, or human psychology. Read about famous breaches and incidents the way other people read mystery novels.
If you can, look into the Swiss apprenticeship pathways in IT (Informatiker EFZ) or the Gymnasium route toward ETH or EPFL, both of which have strong cybersecurity research. Switzerland actually has a growing cybersecurity sector, partly because of banking, partly because of organizations like CERN and the federal cyber agency NCSC.
The field you'll enter in roughly ten years will reward people who can think, communicate, understand business and governance, and use AI as a powerful collaborator. That's a good bet, not just for cybersecurity but for almost any knowledge work worth doing.
You're asking the right questions at the right time. Keep doing that.
Mike Quintal
Technology Leader
12
Answers
La Quinta, California
Updated
Mike’s Answer
Cyber security should always a decent career option - but what will a cyber security expert be doing ten years from now? No one knows for sure, but AI will be a tool both for cyber professionals and those who are bad actors. So this area is likely to become (even more so) highly complex and technical. Imagine what will happen when quantum computing becomes mainstream ....
Sam Taylor
Cloud Engineer
9
Answers
Indianapolis, Indiana
Updated
Sam’s Answer
Hey Nicholas,
I'd imagine choosing a career path in 7th grade is difficult. I'll say this: Cybersecurity is a discipline, not a skill. I think the market is too bullish on the AI capabilities that will be possible, and there will need to be people to fill the security gaps that creates. But it is a fickle job market, and the technologies you'll be working with when you graduate will almost certainly be different than the technologies I am working with now. My general advice (as an American who doesn't know what Switzerland is like) is to take whatever you have and build with it. If you like solving difficult problems with technology, you probably will like doing that as a career. Don't ask for a new laptop every year, get an old laptop and spend time using Linux to make it your own. Use free/low-cost AI plans to help you along, but don't have them do anything for you. Just learn in school, and try your best to learn from family, friends, teachers, peers. I have no idea of the implications of AI on the global economy, but I'm hopeful that by the time you're out of school there will still be a place in the world for analytical minds.
Find free/cheap stuff to do with tech, and then actually do stuff with tech rather than having AI do it for you.
Follow guides and instructions, but don't mindlessly copy from other people online
Talk to people in real life who have jobs you might want to do. In the real world, you can always pivot
I'd imagine choosing a career path in 7th grade is difficult. I'll say this: Cybersecurity is a discipline, not a skill. I think the market is too bullish on the AI capabilities that will be possible, and there will need to be people to fill the security gaps that creates. But it is a fickle job market, and the technologies you'll be working with when you graduate will almost certainly be different than the technologies I am working with now. My general advice (as an American who doesn't know what Switzerland is like) is to take whatever you have and build with it. If you like solving difficult problems with technology, you probably will like doing that as a career. Don't ask for a new laptop every year, get an old laptop and spend time using Linux to make it your own. Use free/low-cost AI plans to help you along, but don't have them do anything for you. Just learn in school, and try your best to learn from family, friends, teachers, peers. I have no idea of the implications of AI on the global economy, but I'm hopeful that by the time you're out of school there will still be a place in the world for analytical minds.
Sam recommends the following next steps:
Teklemuz Ayenew Tesfay
Software Engineer and Career Mentor
674
Answers
Ethiopia
Updated
Teklemuz Ayenew’s Answer
AI cannot fully handle cybersecurity because it lacks human judgment, context awareness, and reliable decision-making for complex or novel attacks. However, cybersecurity professionals with AI skills are in high demand, as they can improve efficiency by automating routine tasks, strengthening threat detection, and accelerating analysis while still managing critical decisions that require human oversight. Applying AI in areas such as threat intelligence, incident response, and security analysis further boosts effectiveness and career competitiveness. AI will not replace cybersecurity jobs, but those who integrate it into their workflow gain a clear advantage by working faster and handling more data-driven workloads. View AI as a supportive tool that enhances capability and creates new opportunities, making practitioners more competitive than those without it.
If you are interested in cybersecurity, it is a strong career path with wide global opportunities across finance, healthcare, government, and technology, so pursue it with confidence while focusing on building solid skills and gaining practical experience. Staying updated with industry trends is essential, as both fields evolve quickly and require continuous adaptation.
If you are interested in cybersecurity, it is a strong career path with wide global opportunities across finance, healthcare, government, and technology, so pursue it with confidence while focusing on building solid skills and gaining practical experience. Staying updated with industry trends is essential, as both fields evolve quickly and require continuous adaptation.
Yashasvi Sharma
IT Security
19
Answers
Chesapeake, Virginia
Updated
Yashasvi’s Answer
Short answer: No, AI is very unlikely to “take over” cybersecurity jobs. It will automate parts of the work, especially repetitive tasks like log review, basic threat detection, and vulnerability scanning, but that usually makes teams more efficient rather than replacing them. In one recent view of the market, many organizations said AI changed team structures, but far fewer said it reduced headcount; meanwhile Europe and Switzerland still face a real cybersecurity talent shortage.
So yes, it is still a good career direction — especially in Switzerland. Demand remains strong, salaries are attractive, and the bigger issue is not “too few jobs” but “not enough people with the right skills.”
What AI will change
AI will likely reduce some junior-level routine work, so future entry-level cybersecurity jobs may expect stronger thinking, better communication, and more hands-on technical skill earlier. But it is also creating new needs around AI security, cloud security, and defending against AI-powered attacks. That means the field is shifting, not disappearing.
My recommendation for you
If you enjoy computers, problem-solving, puzzles, and protecting people/systems, cybersecurity is still a smart path. If you mainly want a field where you can memorize facts and avoid continuous learning, it is probably not the best fit. The people who will do well are the ones who can work with AI as a tool, not compete with it.
So yes, it is still a good career direction — especially in Switzerland. Demand remains strong, salaries are attractive, and the bigger issue is not “too few jobs” but “not enough people with the right skills.”
What AI will change
AI will likely reduce some junior-level routine work, so future entry-level cybersecurity jobs may expect stronger thinking, better communication, and more hands-on technical skill earlier. But it is also creating new needs around AI security, cloud security, and defending against AI-powered attacks. That means the field is shifting, not disappearing.
My recommendation for you
If you enjoy computers, problem-solving, puzzles, and protecting people/systems, cybersecurity is still a smart path. If you mainly want a field where you can memorize facts and avoid continuous learning, it is probably not the best fit. The people who will do well are the ones who can work with AI as a tool, not compete with it.
Sridivya pandrvada
Software Engineer
1
Answer
Houston, Texas
Updated
Sridivya’s Answer
Hi Nicholas,
Great question, thinking ahead is the best way to start planning for future! Cyber security is not going any wear with AI coming, AI should be seen as tool which will be handy assistant for technology professionals, it will be used as a tool to make the day to day activities for a more efficient and to do the tedious job effortlessly. AI always needs a clean direction for the task that has been assigned to it. Cybersecurity isn't going any aware but it will be become more challenges and exciting!
Great question, thinking ahead is the best way to start planning for future! Cyber security is not going any wear with AI coming, AI should be seen as tool which will be handy assistant for technology professionals, it will be used as a tool to make the day to day activities for a more efficient and to do the tedious job effortlessly. AI always needs a clean direction for the task that has been assigned to it. Cybersecurity isn't going any aware but it will be become more challenges and exciting!
Alisha Shrivastava
Cybersecurity Senior Consultant
6
Answers
Livingston, New Jersey
Updated
Alisha’s Answer
AI can make repetitive tasks easier, but we still need people to think, make decisions, and tackle tough problems. Think of AI as a helpful tool for cybersecurity experts, not a replacement. Cybersecurity is a rapidly growing field with many job opportunities. It's a safe and exciting career choice, and combining your knowledge of AI with cybersecurity will give you an edge.
Start by learning basic computer and coding skills. Try fun activities like hacking games or cybersecurity challenges. Stay curious and enjoy solving puzzles—it's a big part of the job! Cybersecurity offers a bright future, and AI will only make it more exciting, not take it away.
Start by learning basic computer and coding skills. Try fun activities like hacking games or cybersecurity challenges. Stay curious and enjoy solving puzzles—it's a big part of the job! Cybersecurity offers a bright future, and AI will only make it more exciting, not take it away.
Riyadh A
IT
2
Answers
Updated
Riyadh’s Answer
AI should not replace cybersecurity jobs. Cybersecurity is an area where judgement and strategy are super important. It will most likely automate some of the busy tasks. Cybersecurity should be more valuable in the AI age, not less. Rather than being tasks and tools focus, understand the macro and think like an security architect.