Will AI replace information security engineers?

Much of the work, but not all of it. AI could take on about 62% of the working time in a typical information security engineer job today. The other 38% still needs a person.

Information security engineer at work

38% of the work still needs a person.

Needs a person: 38%A person checking AI: 28%AI alone: 34%

The bracket under the bar is the evidence range for the share AI could take on: 41 to 62%. One end comes from how well AI did each responsibility in real use, or a second rating where that isn't measured. The other is our figure, which also follows research across the industry.

20 responsibilities in a typical information security engineer job. Median pay $116,580 a year in the U.S. (BLS, May 2025).

Still needs a person

  • Fix information security problems AI helps
  • Coordinate security monitoring across systems AI helps
  • Train and oversee staff on security policy AI helps
  • Install firewalls and encryption software AI helps
  • Oversee risk assessments and system tests AI helps
  • Oversee data protection and continuity plans AI helps

AI can do or help with

  • Fix information security problems AI helps
  • Assess security control quality AI helps
  • Coordinate security monitoring across systems AI helps
  • Build security detection tools AI helps
  • Oversee risk assessments and system tests AI helps
  • Troubleshoot security and network problems AI helps

The biggest responsibilities on each side, ranked by a person's time on the left. "AI helps" means AI takes on part of the work, or most of it with a person checking what it produces, so one can show on both sides. See all 20, with the reason for each and the cost of handing them to AI.

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Questions people ask

Will AI replace information security engineers?

Much of the work, but not all of it. AI could take on about 62% of the working time in a typical information security engineer job today. The other 38% still needs a person. That is a split of the work, not a forecast of jobs lost.

Which parts of the job can AI do?

The biggest ones AI can do or help with: fix information security problems, assess security control quality, coordinate security monitoring across systems, build security detection tools, oversee risk assessments and system tests, troubleshoot security and network problems.

Which parts still need a person?

The biggest ones: fix information security problems, coordinate security monitoring across systems, train and oversee staff on security policy, install firewalls and encryption software, oversee risk assessments and system tests, oversee data protection and continuity plans.

How is this measured?

The U.S. Department of Labor lists 20 responsibilities for this job (O*NET 31.0). Each is scored on 4 questions: can AI do it, does it get it right, must a person sign for it, and do people need to deal with a real person. The split is weighted by how much of the job each responsibility takes up. The evidence range for the share AI could take on is 41 to 62%. One end comes from how well AI did each responsibility in real use, or a second rating where that isn't measured. The other is our figure, which also follows research across the industry. Scores version 0.8.8, updated November 13, 2026.

Responsibilities from O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor). Pay from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025. Scores are calibrated to published research and updated every month. How it works.

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