Is Artificial Intelligence taking layoff decisions, taking over human jobs?

Many employers switching over to AI to streamline job profiles; according to Layoffs.fyi, a website tracking layoffs in the tech industry, 454 tech companies laid off 1,23,882 employees since beginning of 2023

The emergence and subsequent popularity of AI chatbot ChatGPT has shown that the day is not far when thousands of jobs related to research, coding, writing, human resources, etc, may become redundant. Photo for representation. iStock

Tribune Web Desk

Vibha Sharma

Chandigarh, March 6

Artificial intelligence happens to be a popular theme of science fiction movies highlighting its benefits and dangers, including the possibility of machines taking over the world and the human race.

The 2014-film ‘Ex Machina’ is also about a programmer becoming the human component in a test to determine the capabilities and consciousness of Ava—a robot.

The movie ends with Ava walking away, leaving her creator dead and the programmer trapped in the facility.

AI Ex Machina was fiction. However, the emergence and subsequent popularity of AI chatbot ChatGPT has shown that the day is not far when thousands of jobs related to research, coding, writing, human resources, etc, may become redundant.

In fact, much of it has already started happening.

The generative AI is already helping provide 24x7 service to customers.

Apparently, HR sections of tech majors are using AI to analyse employment-related data points to make recommendations on who to interview, hire, promote or retain.

Chatbot ChatGPT

Ever since its launch in November last, ChatGPT has been in the news, for some right and some not-so-right reasons.

It is being used by the curious to create conversations, write stories and poems, complete assignments, create essays for college admissions, write work-related emails in specific style, tone, etc.

Recently, an office colleague asked ChatGPT to create poems on a senior politician, a newsmaker in Punjab and a vague and random subject like two monkeys in Kashmir, which it all did.

The fact that ChatGPT could not crack the UPSC civil services exam—considered one of the toughest exams in India—led to a virtual riot on the social media.

According to reports, it could answer only 54 of the 100 questions from Question Paper 1 of the UPSC Prelims 2022 when tested by the Analytics India Magazine.

Though earlier it is said to have cleared the Wharton MBA examination.

Is AI taking over jobs?

Fun and games apart, there are hundreds of job profiles in the tech sector and other industry that can be easily taken over by AI.

Digitisation and the circumstances during the covid pandemic led to a massive jump in hiring and emoluments of tech companies across the world.

However, the past few weeks have been buzzing with mass layoffs in the tech industry.

While the Indian tech industry has also been impacted, experts believe the impact here is not as drastic as the rest of the world.

According to Layoffs.fyi—a website tracking layoffs in the tech industry—454 tech companies have laid off 1,23,882 employees since the beginning of 2023.

While uncertain economic climate is among the reasons, there appear to be other causes as well.

Apart from cutting costs, companies are also trying to streamline jobs and other responsibilities using AI like ChatGPT.

According to job advice platform, Resumebuilder.com, “Many employers now use applicant tracking system (ATS) software to automate the initial stage of the hiring process. If the formatting of your resume isn’t optimised for such software, it might get filtered out before it even reaches the person who decides whether or not you get an interview.”

Apparently, companies have started deploying ChatGPT instead of human workers, leading employees to wonder how some “mindless algorithm designed not to violate any laws” can decide their future.

Though companies deny using algorithms or AI while making layoff decisions, the charge is AI is very much a part of the workplace. Apart from the constant worry over how this may affect their job and future, they will also have to continuously upgrade their skills to match the AI.

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