Microsoft Lays Off Another 9,000 Employees, Bringing Its Two-Year Job Cuts Total to Nearly 27,000 as It Invests in Building AI Infrastructure

Peter_Brosdahl

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Microsoft has announced yet another round of layoffs following its acquisition of Activision Blizzard amid its current heavy investments in AI.

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Want some fries with that shake? Oh wait robots are coming for those too.
 
It's like we're going back to the days of people who know the hardware and communications infrastructure are going back into the limelight where we started. I feel for programmers... but they were by and large never really in the hard core computer engineering. Just like guys who define protocols and communications, and cpu's would say about me. ;)
 
Grimlakin said:
If you didn't see ai costing entry level tech jobs... you weren't thinking.
Click to expand...

Not that I disagree with the statement, because I personally believe people abdicate critical thought when they use AI ... but let's explore the underlying premise.

Does this presuppose that entry level jobs are not necessary?

If entry level jobs are eliminated, where will the next generation of skilled professionals come from? Every organization has some measure of internal promotion ... where a senior person leaves or retires and underlings get promoted in order to retain and promulgate institutional knowledge. Who will fill the void at the bottom of the chain? AI, you say. How long will it be until AI fills the CEO's position?

Will the standard level of skill required for next-level-above-entry devolve to allow entry to a profession? Previously entry level meant little or no experience, but able to be trained. The new entry level will require experience (at least in using AI to achieve outcomes). Where will that experience come from? Where will the training be provided?

If an organization has difficulty with recruitment and filling entry level positions, does it seem likely that a pool of professionals with the exact skills that organization needs are willing and able to be employed at a moment's notice instead? Are experienced and skilled professionals willing to start at the bottom of the chain?

If an organization hires only candidates who are trained experts for the position, how long will that person stay when they realize there is no opportunity to learn to perform it better or to expand their skills to grow in the position?

Replacing entry level jobs with AI seems to be willfully short sighted and tailored to meet the next quarterly goal.
 
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