Meta has been installing new tracking software on US-based employees’ computers to capture mouse movements, clicks and keystrokes for use in training its Artificial intelligence (AI) models, as per Reuters.
As AI moves from tool to co-worker, the new corporate reality is stark. Productivity is no longer optional, learning is continuous, and job security depends less on experience and more on how well humans learn to work alongside intelligent systems.
AI is no longer a future-of-work debate, it’s a present-day reckoning. According to a recent MIT study, today’s AI can automate tasks of 1 in 10 American workers, and companies are wasting little time acting on it. From layoffs tied directly to automation to aggressive mandates forcing employees to adopt AI tools or exit, 2025 marked a turning point. But even as jobs disappear, a quieter shift is underway. Companies are preparing to hire again, this time, with fewer people, more leverage, and AI at the core of every role.
Organizations are using aggressive tones to cajole employees into using AI. According to WSJ, last year, Accenture let go of employees who don’t use AI effectively after re-skilling over half of its workforce Other companies that did the same are IgniteTech, Salesforce, Klarna, IBM, and HP.
Rehiring with AI
Some good news. After laying off thousands last year, companies like Microsoft say they plan to hire again with ‘max leverage’. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said in a podcast that the tech giant will regrow its headcount. The idea is that over the next year or so, employees will learn to work by adopting AI tools, after which headcount growth can return.
“It’s the unlearning and learning process that I think will take the next year or so, then the headcount growth will come with max leverage,” — Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella
“It’s the unlearning and learning process that I think will take the next year or so, then the headcount growth will come with max leverage,” he said.
The promise of rehiring comes with a clear condition. Adapt first, grow later.
Remember the Fallen
In last year’s AI push, companies around the world increased job cuts, with companies like Amazon, Nestle, and UPS cut costs while AI-focused tech companies started to replace jobs with automation. Amazon cut its corporate workforce by about 14,000 roles, as the tech giant cut down on operational layers to limit costs amid ballooning investments in AI.
As Reuters says, “It’s a reminder that the AI transformation isn’t just about replacing jobs; it’s about rewriting how the business makes money.”
AI-related layoffs may not be widespread yet, but the tension between efficiency and innovation is becoming the defining corporate theme of this new era. This means, be better at what you do, or leave.
According to WSJ, the average number of workers in Amazon facilities fell to 670, the lowest in 16 years. Meanwhile, the company has been spending heavily on robots for sorting packages and even augmented-reality glasses for drivers. Amazon’s CEO Andrew Jassy already said AI will reduce white-collar jobs in the coming years.
Meta is currently laying off approximately 1,500 employees, which represents about 10% of its Reality Labs division. These layoffs signal a partial retreat from the “metaverse” vision in favor of AI-powered wearables (such as smart glasses) and mobile-focused AI experiences.
Last year, Meta stalled its AI talent hiring spree to restructure around “superintelligence.” Salesforce has mirrored the broader tech trend by combining major workforce reductions in customer-facing roles with aggressive hiring for AI-focused positions. In September 2025, CEO Marc Benioff confirmed Salesforce had reduced its customer support workforce from 9,000 to approximately 5,000 roles. This 45% reduction was directly attributed to AI agents now handling roughly half of all customer interactions.
Read more: India’s AI Moment: Youth, Bharat & the Quiet Rewiring of the Talent Economy
AI could even replace government workers. As per Wired, AccelerateX, a government tech startup, is seeking technologists for a project that wants to have AI perform tasks that are currently the responsibility of tens of thousands of federal workers.
OpenAI founder Sam Altman said AI will eliminate entire job categories like customer service, while he likened AI to “a super-smart, capable person.”
Job Market is Getting Stark
What will the job market look like when more graduates enter it in the coming years? Computer science graduates are worried and with reason. Entry level tech jobs are becoming fewer amid big tech’s shift to AI.
While AI has caused layoffs, potential candidates and existing employees are also being judged on if they can justify their roles while working alongside AI and explain how they can combine AI to make their work more productive.
“In many roles, the baseline will no longer be ‘Can a person do the job?’ but rather ‘Can they do it in a way that adds unique value?’” — Daniela Rus, Director of the MIT Computer Science & Artificial Intelligence Laboratory
“In many roles, the baseline will no longer be ‘Can a person do the job?’ but rather ‘Can they do it in a way that adds unique value?’” Daniela Rus, Director of the MIT Computer Science & Artificial Intelligence Laboratory told CNBC.
MIT’s new Artificial Intelligence and Decision-Making (AI+D) degree is become the school’s second-most-popular major after computer science. “Students who prefer to work with data to address problems find themselves more drawn to an AI major,” a professor says.
While AI isn’t slowing hiring, it is changing who employers are seeking.
“We’re hiring people who are AI forward,” — Lisa Su, CEO of GPU maker AMD
“We’re hiring people who are AI forward,” Lisa Su, CEO of GPU maker AMD told CNBC.
In fact, fearing AI job losses, some young people are looking to opt for skill-based jobs as careers, since they are less likely to be taken over by AI. According to Reuters, this has led to a rising demand for construction courses at colleges.
Already PwC has said that AI growth could reduce entry-level roles, though more AI engineers are in demand. In 2021, PwC had plans to hire 100,000 people in five years, but PwC global chairman Mohamed Kande told the BBC this would no longer be possible.
“When we made the plans to hire that many people, the world looked very, very different. Now we have artificial intelligence. We want to hire, but I don’t know if it’s going to be the same level of people that we hire – it will be a different set of people.” — PwC global chairman Mohamed Kande
“When we made the plans to hire that many people, the world looked very, very different,” he said. “Now we have artificial intelligence. We want to hire, but I don’t know if it’s going to be the same level of people that we hire – it will be a different set of people.”
Last year, PwC cut more than 5,600 roles across its worldwide operation.
Redefining the Employable
The AI transition is redefining what it means to be employable. Across big tech and beyond, companies are cutting layers, automating routine work, and reserving future growth for employees who can amplify their output with AI.
As AI moves from tool to co-worker, the new corporate reality is stark. Productivity is no longer optional, learning is continuous, and job security depends less on experience and more on how well humans learn to work alongside intelligent systems.
