IBM has a splendid idea: spinning layoffs as part of an AI-driven dehumanization plan. 7800 workers will be replaced, it claims.
Roughly 7,800 jobs could be replaced by Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the coming years, CEO Arvind Krishna told Bloomberg News on Monday. Hiring specifically in back-office functions such as human resources will be suspended or slowed, Krishna said, adding that 30% of non-customer-facing roles could be replaced by AI and automations in five years. His comment comes at a time when AI has caught the imagination of people around the world after the launch of Microsoft Corp-backed (MSFT.O) OpenAI's viral chatbot, ChatGPT, in November last year.
If it seems odd that IBM isn't reading the room, note that Reuters isn't either (though the item is, in fairness, very brief). AI is the key hype bubble in tech right now and inside it the alarm is perceived but fundamentally unthinkable.
