What happened
The AI boom has disrupted engineering work, introducing new tools, raising expectations, and making hiring harder.
Samantha Brunhaver, an associate professor at Arizona State University, studies how to foster adaptability in young engineers, noting that universities rarely explain what adaptability means in practice.
Reports from PwC and the World Economic Forum indicate that skills are changing rapidly across industries, with tech, media, and telecom seeing the fastest turnover.
Why it matters
As AI reshapes engineering roles, the ability to adapt is becoming a critical skill, yet it is often vaguely defined and context-dependent.
Understanding adaptability can help educators and employers better prepare engineers for a volatile job market.
Key facts
Brunhaver defines adaptability as 'the ability to recognize that a change or uncertainty is occurring, and then respond effectively to that change.'
A June 2026 PwC report found that tech, media, and telecom jobs have the fastest pace of skill turnover.
The World Economic Forum's 2025 Future of Jobs Report expects 39% of workers' core skills to change by 2030.
What to watch next
How universities incorporate adaptability training into curricula, such as through internships and reflective practices.
Whether employers will adopt clearer definitions of adaptability to guide hiring and development.