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Hello, Memo readers!
AI is inevitably seeping into the workplace. And while some fear the technology could replace workers, an AI industry leader says workers shouldn’t worry about the new tools replacing them — they should worry about the people who know how to use them.
Almost half of C-suite level executives recently surveyed by Deloitte said their companies are currently training and upskilling workers to prepare for integrating AI into the workplace, acquiring other companies already using AI tools, and hiring for roles focused on AI. Nearly half (40%) of executives in the survey said they are preparing to do the same.
“AI is going to impact and tweak every role, every job. I don’t think it’s AI that’s going to take away your job. It’s the people who know AI and how to use AI effectively that’s going to take away your job,” Beena Ammanath, the U.S. technology trust ethics leader at Deloitte, said in an interview.
“I think upskilling is no longer a choice,” Ammanath added. “Everybody has to fundamentally understand the basics of AI and how AI can help them do their job better.” Read more of executives’ survey responses here.
February was a bad month for layoffs
Layoffs reached their highest level since the Great Recession last month in the U.S., with tech and finance leading the pack.
Employers primarily cited “restructuring” as the cause of layoffs. Examples of this can be seen in high profile tech layoffs at companies such as Google. The tech giant announced layoffs in January as part of a large-scale reshuffling, saying the company is shifting to “[invest] in our company’s biggest priorities.” A month earlier, the company launched its AI bot Gemini. Other Big Tech rivals such as Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, and Meta have all announced cuts this year just as they look to ramp up their AI efforts.
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Send questions, comments, to talk@qz.com. This edition of The Memo was written by Morgan Haefner.