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The AI job cuts are accelerating
Companies are preparing for a time when there might be less work for their employees
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Even as business leaders claim AI is “redesigning” jobs rather than cutting them, the headlines tell another story.
PHOTO: REUTERS
DeeperDive is a beta AI feature. Refer to full articles for the facts.
Anjli Raval
Microsoft, by chief executive Satya Nadella’s own description, is “thriving”. Its quarterly profits soared by almost 25 per cent, and its market valuation hit US$4 trillion (S$5.15 trillion) last week. In any normal situation, it would seem incongruent that the company is at the same time slashing its workforce by the thousands.
The pursuit of a leaner workforce is not new. In times of economic uncertainty, companies prune excesses – cutting headcount and eliminating inefficiencies. But today, it is not just about doing more with fewer people. Companies are preparing for a time when there might be less work for their employees altogether.
