Billionaire cofounder and CEO Mike Cannon-Brookes has announced that 150 people at software giant Atlassian will be laid off, with some jobs being replaced by AI technology. The affected employees are expected to receive payment for the next six months.
The move is part of a larger trend in the tech industry, where executives are seeking to automate vast swathes of the job market with the help of AI. This comes after OpenAI CEO Sam Altman warned that entire job categories could soon be wiped out by AI.
Altman said that AI can answer customer support queries, making human agents redundant. Atlassian’s cofounder Scott Farquhar has defended the layoffs, citing the need for companies to adapt to changing economic conditions as AI becomes more productive.
Farquhar argued that AI will make some parts of the economy grow significantly, while others may shrink. The company justified its mass layoffs by pointing to its code of ethics, which emphasizes making difficult decisions with passion and care.
The move has sparked controversy over Cannon-Brookes’ personal spending habits, including his recent purchase of a $75 million personal jet despite his climate advocacy.
Source: https://futurism.com/ceo-lays-off-150-employees-replaced-ai