Chegg, an education technology company, recently announced the layoffs of 4% of its workforce, or about 80 employees, to better position itself to use AI. IBM CEO Arvind Krishna said the company may pause hiring for roles that could be replaced with AI. However, he later clarified that AI will create more jobs than it takes away. AI is becoming increasingly important in the tech industry, and companies are adapting by rethinking new hires and laying off workers.
Silicon Valley is leading the way in developing AI, and businesses are adapting to the technology by shifting resources and placing a premium on workers with AI expertise. In April, file-storage service Dropbox layoffs 16% of its workforce, or 500 people, citing AI.
In May, outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas reported 3,900 tech-sector job cuts specifically attributed to AI. Companies are not rendering entire skill sets obsolete overnight, but instead are reallocating resources to better utilize AI.
Dropbox recently announced job layoffs as part of a realignment around AI. CEO Drew Houston acknowledges the rapid growth of the AI market, requiring a diverse mix of skill sets. AI will prompt organizational restructuring, but it won’t necessarily replace humans, says Professor Dan Wang of Columbia Business School.
AI complements human work, and competition lies among human specialists who leverage AI tools effectively. Dropbox is hiring for multiple roles in “New AI Initiatives” to maintain competitiveness in the AI field.
The AI-driven tech layoffs come amid broader cuts in the industry. Many tech companies have been readjusting to an uncertain economic environment and experiencing waning levels of demand for digital services. This situation has persisted for more than three years into the pandemic, requiring companies to adapt their strategies and operations accordingly.
