Cybersecurity workforce burnout intensifies despite AI adoption

Artificial intelligence tools have not delivered the promised relief to cybersecurity teams, according to a new workforce survey that reveals deepening burnout across the industry.

Nearly seven in 10 cybersecurity professionals say their jobs have become more difficult over the past two years, despite organizations rapidly deploying AI automation tools, according to the latest cybersecurity workforce survey by the Information Systems Security Association and Omdia. The findings challenge assumptions that AI would ease pressure on overstretched security teams.

More than eight in 10 organizations now use AI for cybersecurity tasks or plan to soon. Half deploy it for penetration testing and vulnerability scanning, while nearly half use it for risk prediction and 38% for threat detection.

Yet these tools cannot replace skilled professionals, and one-quarter of respondents said their companies increased AI spending without clearly defining how to integrate those tools into existing processes.

Why it matters

The cybersecurity skills shortage remains a critical business risk, with 75% of survey respondents reporting workforce gaps have affected their organizations. When burnout drives experienced professionals out of the field entirely, it compounds the talent crisis and leaves enterprises more vulnerable. Organizations investing heavily in AI tools without addressing underlying workforce issues may find their security posture weakening rather than improving.

Burnout reaches critical levels

Nearly half of cybersecurity workers are considering leaving their current job, with 17% thinking about it regularly and 30% occasionally. More concerning, over half are contemplating leaving the industry altogether—20% regularly.

The top drivers of burnout include high stress (53%), lack of career advancement opportunities (37%), poor work-life balance (34%), and insufficient leadership commitment to organizational cybersecurity (33%).

The skills shortage has created a cascade of operational problems. Forty-four percent of respondents have seen colleagues pulled from strategic, long-term work to handle emergencies because no one else was available. Similar shares cited increased workload (42%) and intensified burnout (37%) as direct consequences.

Cultural and strategic gaps persist

Only 29% of respondents described their organizations' cybersecurity cultures as "advanced," with half rating them merely "average." Workforce training, resource investments, and governance improvements topped the list of steps that would strengthen cybersecurity programs.

The disconnect between AI investment and implementation strategy suggests many organizations are pursuing technology solutions without addressing fundamental process and culture issues. Twenty-three percent of respondents said the skills shortage had significant impacts on their organizations.

The findings come from interviews with 380 IT and cybersecurity professionals conducted in January and February 2026, as first reported by Cybersecurity Dive.