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https://theconversation.com/meta-and-microsoft-have-joined-the-tech-layoff-tsunami-is-ai-really-to-blame-281436>
"Meta and Microsoft are the latest software companies to announce big cuts to
their global workforce. Both companies are also making big investments in
artificial intelligence (AI).
The link seems obvious. Meta’s chief people officer, Janelle Gale, said the job
cuts – about 10% of staff or almost 8,000 workers – serve to “offset the other
investments we’re making”. Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg has previously spoken
about a “major AI acceleration” with spending in excess of US$115bn planned
this year.
Microsoft is also betting big on AI. The company also just announced early
retirement packages for about 7% of its US workforce.
The two tech giants join Atlassian, Block, WiseTech Global and Oracle, who have
all made similar announcements this year, each evoking AI without outright
blaming it.
What is happening here? How we understand these layoffs depends on what we
think AI is, and what implications it will have. Broadly speaking, there are
three ways of looking at it: that AI is superintelligence, that it’s mostly
hype, and that it’s a useful tool."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
