AI isn’t replacing talent: how it is changing IT jobs in Italy

Artificial intelligence is changing the skills companies require, the role of junior professionals and the most sought-after profiles in the IT sector. I’m Carlo Amato, Principal IT Recruitment Consultant for the Italian market at Montreal Associates (MA), and in this article I share what I’m hearing from my conversations with Talent Acquisition leaders and technology consultancies across Italy.

There is no shortage of discussion about artificial intelligence. Everyone is debating whether AI will mean we work less or perhaps even more.

What is certain is that AI is already changing hiring strategies within the IT sector, particularly among the leading technology consultancies.

The data confirms that this is more than just a market perception. According to the PwC Global AI Jobs Barometer 2026, the number of job adverts in Italy requiring artificial intelligence skills increased by approximately 24,000 in 2025. Within the Technology, Media and Telecommunications sector, more than 8% of published vacancies already require AI skills.

Over the past few months, I’ve had the opportunity to speak with hiring leaders from some of Italy’s leading IT consultancies and systems integrators. Several common trends have emerged from these conversations which, in my view, will shape this fast-moving market.

AI skills are becoming a competitive advantage

One of the first pieces of feedback I received came from an HR and Senior Talent Acquisition professional at a consultancy in Milan:

“It is no longer enough simply to say that you use AI. If a candidate can demonstrate that they know how to use artificial intelligence tools at an advanced level, integrate them with other tools, automate processes and apply those skills in different contexts, they gain a significant competitive advantage during the hiring process.”

In other words, knowledge of AI is no longer viewed as a simple “nice to have”. It is becoming a differentiating skill from the very beginning of the recruitment process, particularly among professionals who can demonstrate how they use it to increase productivity and create business value.

Why soft skills matter more than ever in IT

Another HR and Talent contact at one of Italy’s leading Microsoft consultancies gave me a different but equally significant perspective:

“AI is affecting recruitment because the speed at which technology is evolving makes it increasingly difficult to predict which technical skills will be needed in a few years’ time. This is why soft skills are becoming even more important, including in highly technical roles.”

Alongside technical expertise, companies are therefore beginning to pay closer attention to qualities such as problem-solving and the ability to share knowledge both internally and externally.

In a constantly evolving market, the ability to transfer knowledge may become more valuable than expertise in any single technology.

AI and junior talent: is a new skills gap emerging?

Another HR and Talent leader at a Microsoft Partner highlighted a particularly interesting issue: some of the greatest challenges today concern junior professionals entering the market directly from university or bootcamps.

This introduces a subject that is still not discussed enough: the mismatch between education and the employment market.

“Many candidates enter the job market with skills that, while solid from a traditional perspective, have not yet been updated for an environment in which AI has become an integral part of everyday work. This creates a gap between what companies need and what new professionals can do.”

The good news is that this is likely to be a temporary phenomenon. Universities, Higher Technical Institutes and bootcamps are already reviewing their programmes to incorporate artificial intelligence, AI-powered productivity tools and automation. It is therefore reasonable to expect this gap to narrow over the next few years.

How artificial intelligence is changing IT jobs

The impact of AI on the world of work, including the technology sector, is already clear:

• Fewer junior roles: automation is handling some of the basic tasks that were previously carried out by people entering the profession.
• Greater internal efficiency: companies are using AI to reduce costs, automate processes and increase productivity.
• Fewer purely technical and development-focused roles: AI is not eliminating developers, but it is changing what companies expect from them.

Enthusiasm for AI is high, but investment remains cautious and many clients are still taking a measured approach. Pilot projects are widespread, but large-scale transformation initiatives are progressing more slowly than many expected just one or two years ago.

The IT professionals most in demand among Italian employers

I’d also like to share an observation that emerged from a conversation with a senior IT headhunter working across international markets.

As a specialist IT recruitment agency, we are seeing client demand decline across Italy and other European markets. At the same time, the nature of that demand is changing.

Today, hiring demand is increasingly focused on quality and seniority, with particular attention being given to three areas.

1. Solution Architects and Cloud Architects

More companies are looking for senior professionals who can work directly with clients, design cloud architectures using Microsoft Azure, AWS, and increasingly, Google Cloud, lead projects and coordinate distributed development teams, often including nearshore or offshore resources.

2. Functional IT Consultants

Demand remains high for consultants with strong knowledge of business processes, particularly within supply chain and manufacturing. These professionals must be able to understand a client’s needs and translate them into functional requirements for development teams.

As AI evolves, these consultants are likely to become increasingly important as “orchestrators” connecting business needs, digital transformation and AI tools.

3. IT Sales and Pre-sales professionals

Demand is also growing for sales and pre-sales professionals—particularly Technical Pre-sales Engineers—with a solid technical background.

Companies are looking for people who can do more than sell a service or project. They need professionals who can guide clients through digital transformation and clearly communicate the value of cloud, AI, and automation solutions.

AI isn’t replacing talent; it's changing its value

If there is one message emerging from all these conversations, it is this: AI isn’t replacing talent. Instead, it is increasing the value of the skills that AI cannot easily replicate, particularly the ability to build strong client relationships.

In a market where AI is transforming both skills and roles, understanding what companies need and building relationships with the right professionals is becoming even more important. If your company is looking for specialist IT talent in Italy, get in touch with me. We can discuss your requirements and explore how the Montreal Associates team and I can support you.