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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
Anjli Raval
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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.
