The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on the Cybersecurity Workforce – Source:www.nist.gov

The NICE Workforce Framework for Cybersecurity (NICE Framework) was revised in November 2020 as NIST Special Publication 800-181 rev.1 to enable more effective and rapid updates to the NICE Framework Components, including how the advent of emerging technologies would impact cybersecurity work.

NICE has been actively engaging in conversations with: federal departments and agencies; industry; education, training, and certification providers; and international representatives to understand how Artificial Intelligence (AI) might affect the nature of our Nation’s digital work. NICE has also led conversations on this topic, including the 2023 webinar, “The Impact of Generative Artificial Intelligence on Education and Workforce,” the 2024 NICE Annual Conference and Expo plenary panel session, “Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Education and Cybersecurity Workforce,” and sessions at the NICE 2025 Annual Conference and Expo, including a workshop on “The Impact of AI on the Cybersecurity Workforce” and a plenary session on “Emerging Technologies & Workforce Development: Preparing for the AI-Driven Economy.”

The NICE Framework and AI

As a result of these stakeholder engagements, NICE is focusing on two primary ways that AI will be incorporated into the NICE Framework:

• Artificial Intelligence (AI) Security Competency Area: This new Competency Area describes foundational knowledge and skills needed to understand the intersection between AI and cybersecurity and the risks and opportunities this may present. This work is currently available for public comment. It leverages multiple resources, including but not limited to: NIST AI 100-1, Artificial Intelligence Risk Management Framework (AI RMF 1.0) (January 2023), the NSF Artificial Intelligence Scholarships for Service (AI SFS) Initiative, directed by the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 and informed by a wide range of Federal partners and existing resources; the Department of Defense Cyber Workforce Framework (DCWF); and the NSF/NSA CyberAI Project.
• AI in Work Roles: While the Competency Area will contain a broad, basic set of Knowledge and Skill statements, NICE Framework Work Roles may need to be updated or developed to address the impact of AI. To do this, NICE will engage with the community to include AI-related Task, Knowledge, and Skill (TKS) statements in relevant existing and new roles. As is standard practice at NIST, updates will be made available for review and comment prior to final publication. This work will support inclusion of Work Role content needed to:
  • Address the strategic and workforce implications of AI: The implications of new technologies such as AI need to be considered strategically in order to understand its impact on the organization’s goals and workforce including, for instance, legal and regulatory considerations (and to determine the risks and opportunities that such activities may present).
  • Security of AI: Technology is constantly evolving and the growing impact of AI is part of that evolution. The cybersecurity workforce will need to be prepared to secure AI against cyberattacks and to mitigate potential cyberthreats presented by AI, including where it is used with malicious intent. Additionally, integration of AI into new roles that may be developed (e.g., product security) will also be addressed via TKS statements.
  • Security through AI: AI promises to be an effective tool to support and improve cybersecurity work, including, for instance, how to improve data analysis or detect network anomalies. As AI is used to conduct cybersecurity work, relevant TKS statements will need to be included to reflect that change.

Share Your Questions and Expertise

We want to hear from you! NICE has multiple avenues to ask questions, provide suggestions and feedback, and support NICE Framework development. These include:

• Engage in the NICE Community Coordinating Council (CCC) or Interagency Coordinating Council (ICC)
• Participate in NICE in-person and online events
• Join the NICE Framework Users Group
• Contact us at NICEFramework [at] nist.gov (NICEFramework[at]nist[dot]gov)

Visit the NICE Framework Resource Center Change Requests FAQ page for more information. 

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