Image by David Pisnoy, from Unsplash
- Written by Kiara Fabbri Former Tech News Writer
- Fact-Checked by Sarah Frazier Former Content Manager
In a rush? Here are the quick facts:
- Amazon plans to cut corporate jobs due to growing AI use.
- CEO Andy Jassy says AI will change how people work and live.
- Over 1,000 AI tools are in use or development at Amazon.
In a memo to staff on Tuesday, Jassy said AI will bring “efficiency gains” and that “we will need fewer people doing some of the jobs that are being done today, and more people do other types of jobs.”
Jassy’s statement is part of a broader trend across industries, where AI adoption is reshaping staffing needs, as noted by NBC.
The Bloomberg Intelligence study forecasts that AI technology will eliminate between 200,000 and 300,000 positions in the banking sector. The cybersecurity firm Crowdstrike conducted a 5% workforce reduction because AI technology improved operational efficiency, as reported by FT.
Shopify CEO Tobi Lutke has instructed managers to demonstrate that AI solutions cannot perform specific tasks before they can approve new hires, noted FT. Language app Duolingo also announced plans to reduce contractor roles due to AI capabilities
In line with this, LinkedIn’s Aneesh Raman warned that AI is wiping out entry-level roles vital for early career growth. “It is our office workers who are staring down the same kind of technological and economic disruption,” Raman said, likening it to the loss of manufacturing jobs in the 1980s. The disappearance of entry-level opportunities may worsen inequality, locking out those without privileged backgrounds.
The United Nations Trade and Development (UNCTAD) also released a report warning that AI could impact 40% of global jobs . While AI can enhance productivity and support workers, especially in developing nations, it may also deepen global inequality.
UNCTAD urges governments to ensure AI benefits are shared fairly and calls for investment in education and infrastructure to prepare the workforce.
The transition will accelerate customer innovation, according to Jassy, yet many employees face increasing job uncertainty because of automation.
Image by Solen Feiyssa, from Unsplash
Big Tech Seeks 10-Year Ban On State AI Laws
- Written by Kiara Fabbri Former Tech News Writer
- Fact-Checked by Sarah Frazier Former Content Manager
In a rush? Here are the quick facts:
- Big Tech wants a 10-year ban on state-level AI laws.
- INCOMPAS lobby group leads push, backed by Amazon, Meta, Google, and Microsoft.
- Critics say it’s a power grab by wealthy tech companies.
The Financial Times (FT) reports that the companies use INCOMPAS lobbyists to request the Senate add the moratorium to President Donald Trump’s budget bill. The House passed the measure last month.
“This is the right policy at the right time for American leadership,” Chip Pickering, INCOMPAS CEO and a former congressman, said to FT. “But it’s equally important in the race against China,” he added.
But critics aren’t buying it. “Responsible innovation shouldn’t fear laws that ban irresponsible practices,” said Asad Ramzanali of Vanderbilt University, as reported by FT. Similarly, MIT’s Max Tegmark called it “a power grab by tech bro-ligarchs attempting to concentrate yet more wealth and power,” reported FT.
The Republican Party faces internal opposition to this proposal, as reported by FT. Senate members Josh Hawley and Marsha Blackburn stand against the moratorium, but Thom Tillis and Steve Daines support it, citing that they fear that state-by-state regulations will create a fragmented system.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman warned it would be “disastrous” to require companies to meet safety standards before launch, as noted by FT. However, AI safety experts who support regulation argue that uncontrolled AI power growth threatens significant social damage to society.
