WorkSeptember 1, 2026via Financial Times Technology
When is an engineer not an engineer?
Why it matters
AI skills inflation in hiring is creating a gap between what companies advertise and what roles actually require—practitioners need to understand the real job market as AI adoption spreads into every department.
Key signals
- AI requirements increasingly common in job postings
- Mismatch between advertised technical titles and actual role scope
- Reflects broader AI adoption across industries changing job definitions
- AI requirements and technical titles increasingly common in job postings
- Mismatch between advertised job titles/requirements and actual role scope
- Source: Financial Times labor market analysis
- Published September 2026
The hook
Job titles say 'AI engineer.' Reality says something else.
AI requirements and technical titles are more common in job ads but do not always reflect the reality of roles