Scientists and engineers quitting jobs as AI changes roles ‘beyond recognition’, study finds

Research involving more than 4,100 technology, engineering and life sciences professionals across five countries reveals growing concerns over career prospects, heavier workloads and employers struggling to replace experienced specialists

Scientists, engineers and technology specialists are leaving jobs that artificial intelligence has changed “beyond recognition”, according to new research involving more than 4,100 professionals across five major economies.

One-in-six workers surveyed said they had seen colleagues leave their organisation during the past year because AI had fundamentally changed the nature of their jobs, raising concerns about employers losing specialist expertise as they introduce new technologies.

The research, commissioned by global STEM workforce consultancy SThree and conducted by YouGov, questioned 4,126 professionals in Britain, Germany, the Netherlands, the United States and Japan.

It found that 16 per cent had witnessed colleagues leaving after AI changed their work beyond recognition, while 14 per cent reported departures linked to reduced career progression and 13 per cent cited workloads that had become unsustainable.

Almost half of respondents, 45 per cent, said their organisation had struggled to replace specialists who had left during the previous 12 months.

The findings suggest that changes to existing jobs are becoming a concern for employers alongside the possibility of positions being automated or eliminated.

More than a third of those surveyed, 37 per cent, believed their organisation was introducing technologies such as AI too quickly to give sufficient consideration to the effects on employees’ roles.

The research also found evidence of changes to traditional career development within science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

Almost one-in-three respondents, 32 per cent, said senior employees were now undertaking work previously performed by junior colleagues as AI changed entry-level responsibilities.

The findings raise questions about how less experienced workers can develop the knowledge and practical skills needed to progress when some of the tasks traditionally assigned to them are being taken on by more senior staff.

Timo Lehne, the chief executive of SThree, said employers faced growing difficulties retaining specialist workers as AI altered established roles and career paths, adding: “Competition for specialist STEM skills is already intense. Businesses around the world are competing for specialist expertise just as AI transforms the jobs those people do.

“That makes retention increasingly important. If experienced people no longer see the work, development or progression they signed up for, they can take their expertise elsewhere. For employers, losing that capability can leave a gap that is difficult and costly to rebuild.”

SThree’s wider 2026 workforce research also found that 40 per cent of respondents believed growing dependence on AI threatened the development of junior talent.

At the same time, 54 per cent identified the loss of specialist knowledge as a risk to their organisations, underlining concerns about retaining experienced staff in technical roles.

Lehne said the movement of experienced employees between businesses could also create recruitment opportunities for organisations seeking specialist skills.

He added: “But movement creates opportunity too. As the global talent market becomes more fluid, businesses have a chance to access experienced specialists who may previously have been much harder to reach, including people moving between employers, industries and markets.

“We’re tracking these changes across global STEM markets to help organisations identify the capabilities they need to protect and where the best skills can be sourced next.”

The findings form part of SThree’s STEM Workforce Report 2026, which examines how employers and employees are responding to AI, changing skills requirements and recruitment pressures.

The research also found that 61 per cent of AI users reported improvements in team productivity, although 46 per cent said they were spending more time checking AI-generated work.

Among respondents who had witnessed AI-related redundancies, 77 per cent said their organisation had subsequently reversed those decisions or planned to do so, according to SThree’s wider report.

The company said the results demonstrated the challenges employers face in introducing new technologies while maintaining experienced teams and providing opportunities for younger workers to develop their careers.

READ MORE: Brits trust AI with their health but not their money. New research reveals that people are happier asking artificial intelligence about medical symptoms and legal problems than letting it handle their payments, with almost half uncomfortable about AI detecting fraud.

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_{Main image: New research suggests artificial intelligence is transforming specialist jobs, with one in six STEM professionals surveyed reporting that colleagues have left roles changed ‘beyond recognition’ by the technology. Credit: Pavel Danilyuk / Pexels}