AI Layoffs or AI Talent Swap?🤖
Why some tech companies are laying off workers while still hiring.
Thousands of workers have been impacted by recent tech layoffs. But if some of those companies are cutting jobs, why are they still hiring?
Workday, Meta, and Salesforce recently announced layoffs due to prioritizing AI. This is something we’ll likely see more of as companies figure out how to integrate AI into their business.
Workday laid off 8.5% of its workforce but is still hiring for AI-focused roles. Similarly, Meta is laying off around 5% of employees but still hiring for machine learning engineers. Salesforce is letting go of over 1K workers while hiring more salespeople to sell their AI products.
This isn’t a result of machines finally replacing people, but more so companies swapping out employees for ones with AI/ML skills. Companies are looking for talent who can build, train, and sell AI.
Fortunately, skills can be learned, so whether you’re in a role that’s in danger of being taken over or not, you can develop them.
Jobs (or parts of jobs) that are at risk as AI continues to expand its capabilities are those that consist of straightforward and repetitive tasks that don’t require nuance or emotional intelligence. For example:
If you’re an engineer whose work mainly involves refactoring code or writing simple scripts, AI can handle that. Ask for more complex tasks or take the lead in automating them yourself.
If you work in data entry or roles that mainly require things like monitoring or review, get familiar with existing AI tools to automate those repetitive parts of your job.
Don’t just learn to use and implement AI tools, try to become an expert and teacher in their value and capabilities. Scale AI usage on your team, become the person your colleagues go to for automation questions or ideas, and continue learning and building so that you always have something new to bring to the table. With these new skills, you can take them to other companies and industries as well.
You can learn these skills through books, free and paid online courses (ask your company if they pay for any), attending events and info sessions on AI topics, enrolling in programs, reading various articles, and following accounts that regularly push out AI content.
The workforce is shifting. Stay informed, up skill, and adapt. Keep up with your team, company, and industry goals, find ways to drive automation, and take ownership of those changes. The more you evolve and take initiative, the more valuable you become.
UPCOMING EVENTS🎟️
Join Black Tech Pipeline and Tribaja at the Moxy Hotel this evening, 2/19, at the Moxy Hotel down in the Seaport Boston!
We’re gathering Boston-based techies for an evening of networking, games, drinks and snacks🥂
Register for the event here🎟️
The Museum of Science is hosting the ‘Generative AI and New Dawn of Life Sciences and Healthcare’ panel on Thursday, 2/20!
The panel will explore how generative AI is transforming healthcare and life sciences, from patient-centric care and personalized treatment plans to accelerating drug development and improving healthcare operations. Panelists will also discuss the organizational changes needed to fully leverage AI, including challenges around data access, authority, metrics, and responsibility, while highlighting real-world case studies and emerging trends.
Register for the event here 🎟️
Looking for work? 💼
Check out the Black Tech Pipeline job board for the latest openings from our hiring partners!
🚨We’re currently helping recruit a remote Senior Full-Stack Engineer and remote Senior Backend Engineer with strong Golang experience for one of our hiring partners. Interested in being considered for these roles? Create your talent profile here.