Will AI Replace Hackers? The Answer Isn’t What You Think.

I saw a reel the other day that gave me chills.

It was about a bug bounty platform called HackerOne, where ethical hackers get paid to find security vulnerabilities.

And right now, The #1 performer on the leaderboard isn’t a person.

It’s an AI bot.

Over 1,000 bugs reported. Fifty-four of them critical. Fully automated, and no human writing the reports.

Sounds like something out of a sci-fi movie, right?

But it’s real, and I get why that’s scary.

Especially if you’re just starting out.

You’ve been putting in the work, you are learning, practicing, building…

And now AI shows up and starts doing the job faster.

It feels unfair. Like the goalposts just moved.

But here’s what I need you to know.

AI isn’t replacing hackers.

It’s replacing repetition.

Think about a calculator.

It solves equations way faster than we can.

But without someone who understands the math behind the problem? It’s just a brick.

Same thing here.

AI is powerful, no doubt. 

But it still needs people who can:

• Think through systems and risk

• Understand context

• Spot false positives

• Ask better questions

• And make human judgment calls

Those are the skills that matter.

So what should you do?

If you’re worried about getting left behind, don’t be.

Instead, double down on what AI can’t replace:

1. Get hands-on with projects.
   Phishing simulators, red team labs, real-world ticketing simulations. Show what you can do.
   

2. Learn to use AI, don’t fear it.
   Use it to draft reports, run faster tests, explore tools.
   But keep the steering wheel in your hands.
   

3. Build a portfolio, stay visible.
   Share your work on LinkedIn. Talk about what you're learning.
   The people getting hired are the ones showing up.

The jobs aren’t disappearing.

They’re evolving.

And if you’re reading this? You’re already doing more than most.

Keep going  and don’t let the tech fool you.

You’re still the key part of this equation.

—Sandra

P.S. Want to see the reel that inspired this?
Here’s the link.

AI’s doing big things but the future still needs you.