Concerns that artificial intelligence could cost people their jobs are no longer just speculation—they’re becoming reality. More CEOs are beginning to openly acknowledge AI’s impact on employment, especially in the tech sector, where AI-driven layoffs are ramping up.
Fiverr CEO Micha Kaufman is one of the latest to speak candidly. In an April memo to his 1,200 employees, he wrote, “AI is coming for your jobs. Heck, it’s coming for my job too.” Kaufman tells Forbes that conversations around the office made it clear people were worried. “I hear developers ask each other, ‘Guys, are we going to have a job in two years?’ I felt like this needed validation from me—that they aren’t imagining stuff.”
Kaufman joins a growing list of leaders—Amazon’s Andy Jassy, Anthropic’s Dario Amodei, and Shopify’s Tobi Lutke among them—who are warning that AI could soon lead to significant reductions in white-collar jobs. Some have even described what’s coming as a “white-collar bloodbath.”
Early Impact on Entry-Level Roles
The effects are already showing, especially among younger workers. Ruyu Chen, a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford’s Institute for Human-Centered AI, noted that the number of entry-level developers aged 18–25 has “slightly” declined since ChatGPT’s launch in late 2022.
Not Everything Can—or Should—Be Automated
Still, not all companies are charging full speed toward automation. Klarna, the buy-now-pay-later firm, is a prime example. Last year, the company reduced its workforce by 40%, in part due to its investment in AI. But a year later, it reversed course, launching a major hiring push for human customer service reps.
Why the change? “In a world where everything is automated,” Klarna spokesperson Clare Nordstrom told Forbes, “people put a premium on the human experience.”
Work Smarter: Insights from the Workplace
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Touch Base: News from the World of Work
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Retiring abroad is on the rise. With lower costs, alternative lifestyles, and less political friction, more Americans are looking to spend their retirement years overseas. Forbes recently released its list of the 24 best countries—and 96 best places—to retire outside the U.S.
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Free office snacks might be disappearing. Thanks to tax changes in a Trump-era bill, companies can no longer deduct the cost of in-office snacks. The only exceptions? Restaurants and the Alaskan fishing industry.
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Startup scandal goes viral. A kiss cam moment at a Coldplay concert led to workplace drama at tech startup Astronomer. CEO Andy Byron stepped down after being seen embracing the company’s chief people officer, Kristin Cabot. Cofounder Pete DeJoy is now serving as interim CEO.
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Health benefits may take a hit. As spending on weight loss treatments surges, more than half of U.S. companies are considering scaling back health benefits. That could mean higher deductibles, new out-of-pocket maximums, or a shift away from traditional pharmacy benefit managers.
Whether you’re navigating the evolving job market or just trying to stay one step ahead, the changing nature of work—and AI’s growing role in it—is something none of us can afford to ignore.