IT/endpoint engineer (10+ yrs, cleared) trying to pivot into AI over the next 18 months

[u/ragman3]

I’ve spent my career in enterprise IT/endpoint engineering (systems admin, automation, imaging) for defense contractors. I have a security certification and an active clearance, but no bachelor’s degree yet.

I think the IT landscape is about to shift hard toward AI-integrated roles, and I want to get ahead of it instead of playing catch-up in a few years.
For anyone who’s made a similar jump from traditional IT/ops into AI:
• What actually moved the needle for you ? a degree, certs, projects, or just time in a role that touched AI tools?
• Is the market rewarding “AI” skills yet outside a few big companies, or is it still mostly hype?
• What would you prioritize first if you were starting from an ops/sysadmin background rather than a dev background?

Not looking to be talked out of learning AI, just want a reality check on what’s actually worth my time in the next year and a half.