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AI & Automation in 2026: How UK Tech Jobs Will Transform
26/11/2025
AI & Automation: How UK Tech Jobs Will Change by 2026
The introduction of AI and automation is reshaping the workforce in the UK and globally. As businesses progress to leveraging AI-enabled systems, develop automation for repetitive tasks, and adopt digital innovations, the technology job sector is rapidly evolving. New positions are being created, existing positions are being adapted, and the need for specialised AI skillsets is rising rapidly across IT jobs UK, especially in machine learning, data engineering and intelligent process automation roles.
The following article will assess how AI jobs, machine learning jobs, and the like, such as developments relating to chatbot developer jobs, will impact the UK's technology sector by 2026.
AI Will Create More Technology Jobs Than It Will Supplant.
The idea that AI will replace most jobs is not accurate. The UK is experiencing a strong rise in job hire related to AI, which is happening as companies increase their pace of digital transformation.
Reasons why AI will increase hiring in technology:
- Businesses need individuals to build, train, and manage AI models
- Automation is leading to a need for specialists to maintain and improve
- New digital experiences - such as chatbots and other intelligent assistants - are constantly evolving
- Organisations will need individuals to manage the integrating of AI with existing apps, websites, and workflows
- Thus, AI jobs and machine learning jobs will continue to be among the fastest-growing job sectors in the UK.
- Fastest-Growing AI-Driven Technology Roles in the UK by 2026
Here are the leading AI jobs projected to be in demand as hiring trends solidify in 2026.
1) AI Engineer
AI Engineers are responsible for designing, implementing and deploying smart systems to automate processes and make forecasts.
Key Responsibilities
- Development of machine learning models
- Integration of AI APIs
- Production deployment of AI tools
2026 US Salary of £65,000 – £120,000+
2) Machine Learning Engineer
Machine learning engineering is a narrow focus of AI that involves training algorithms to learn from data.
Key Skills
- Python, TensorFlow, PyTorch
- NLP, deep learning
- Data engineering
2026 US Salary estimated £70,000 – £130,000+
The demand for machine learning jobs continues to grow in finance, healthcare, e-commerce and logistics.
3) Chatbot Developer
The emergence of conversational AI means organisations are looking for expertise in developing smart, human-like bot experiences.
Key Skills
- NLP model integration
- Dialogflow, Rasa, Microsoft Bot Framework
- API development
- Prompt Engineering
2026 US Salary estimated £45,000 – £90,000+
This is one of the most underrated but fast growing job roles in the category of Chatbot Developer in the UK.
4) Data Scientist
AI systems rely on enormous amounts of quality data, and Data Scientists are vital to this process.
2026 US Salary estimated £60,000 – £125,000+
5) AI Product Manager
Technology organisations want specialists who understand AI competency and business strategy.
2026 US Salary estimated £70,000 – £120,000+
6) AI Ethics & Compliance Specialist
The uptick in AI adoption is bringing increased requirements in areas of privacy and fairness.
2026 UK Salary: £50,000 – £100,000+
The Impact of Automation on Conventional Technology Roles and Players
Automation does not only create new roles, but fundamentally changes the existing structures and processes roles rely on.
Software Developers
While manual code writing is declining, it has been replaced by a close relationship with AI automated coding assistants, resulting in even more productivity.
Core tasks for Software Developers will be centered in:
- System architecture
- API integration
- AI-assisted code development
- Executive performance engineering
- Cybersecurity Professionals
- As AI-created and AI-powered threats proliferate, cybersecurity roles are advancing.
- Responsibilities of Cybersecurity Professionals will include:
- AI threat detection
- Monitoring of autonomous security threats
- Detecting anomalies using ML
- IT Support and Service Desk Agents
While chatbots and virtual agents will address basic queries, an IT specialist will answer and fulfill the more challenging aspects of:
- Complex troubleshooting
- Making sure the AI system functions correctly
- Handling escalations and the request to automate
Automation is not meant to displace jobs but fosters and enhances, replace and eliminate technological support.
- Skills Necessary to Succeed in AI Tech Jobs
- To remain employable by 2026, employees should learn:
- Python & machine learning libraries
- Prompt engineering & NLP integration
- Cloud technology (AWS, Azure, GCP)
- Data engineering & analytics
- API development
- Model evaluation & tuning
Soft skills like problem-solving, creativity and communication will also be valuable skills in the workplace of the AI.
What the Future Holds: AI Identities Will Change – Not Substitute – Careers in Tech in the UK
- By 2026, UK tech job roles will be:
- More jobs calling for specialised AI skill sets
- More jobs as chatbots are developed
- More jobs as automation engineers
- Increased hybrid human-ai job roles
- Increased salaries for AI careers in tech
For job seekers and employees alike, now is the best opportunity to learn new skills, and the future belongs to those who can work cooperatively with intelligent systems, instead of competing against them.
FAQs
1. Will AI create new tech jobs in the UK?
Yes. AI is expected to create thousands of new roles in machine learning, automation, chatbot development, AI engineering and data science.
2. Are chatbot developer jobs in demand?
Absolutely. As companies adopt conversational AI, chatbot developers are one of the most in-demand roles for 2026.
3. What skills are needed for AI jobs?
Python, machine learning frameworks, NLP, data engineering, cloud computing and API development.
4. Will automation reduce tech hiring?
No. Automation is changing job responsibilities but increasing demand for AI and ML specialists.
