It will take a significant number of us to play our part. With many boards considering the cost saving that lay-offs can bring, very few have an eye to the medium to long-term impact of their sustainability, or even the imminent impact on the wider economy.
Just last week there were several reports of this being outworked. A marketing director losing her £65k role to AI, with the only alternative gainful employment available being a £25k junior position. The 40% job cuts at Block leaving 4,000+ out of work. Washington post redundancies for a third of the staff. This to name but a few.
The problem, beyond the hardship and uncertainty for thousands of people, is that this isn’t actually in the interest of the companies. Of any companies. You see, there’s a buoyancy required in any economic system that it doesn’t take much to blow and precipitate into a downward spiral of negative growth for all sectors.
Unemployment had already hit 5.2% 1.88 million people) at the end of 2025 with 16% of the 16-24 age bracket – adding to concern the Samh rule was hit in 2025.
One of the drivers is the chronic short-termism some CEOs, boards and investors operate under. Many don’t care if the company stands for decades to come if they’ve taken the reputational or fiscal currency and run. Indeed, recent evidence suggests the market takes AI-driven layoffs as an indicator of imminent dominance and share prices actually increase (in the short-term). Block’s shares rose by 16% by the end of last week, with a fall of 1.6% this week (at the time of writing).
With Big Tech and political leaders showing no signs of adequate intervention, it will take significant ‘downstream’ influence to affect the trajectory. So what can we – you and I – do to prevent further economic downturn and a position it will be hard to come back from? I believe the answer is not to simply roll over and pray for universal basic income.
Instead, we might consider:
–preferring human-centric companies. This isn’t about blacklisting those using AI, rather it involves choosing companies who seek to use AI as a force multiplier instead of replacing humans.
–investing in people development. If you are involved in HR, training, line management or workforce allocation in your company, prioritise investment in training that up-skills the team for adaptability as roles change. Prioritise output over reductive efficiency.
–influencing your leaders by letting them know you care about the long-term sustainability of the company and that includes investing in their number one asset – the people.
–remembering we are all accountable. The next 10 years will be pivotal for society as we know it. Nobody will be able to look back and say ‘we had no idea our choices would affect the whole ecosystem’. There have been too many credible sources shouting loudly about their concerns over AI-related joblessness.
For me, that means seeking to work with as many people-focussed companies as possible.
If you are keen to hone your competitive edge by investing in your leaders, rather than removing them, drop me a line. For the next 60 days, any new clients who can show with integrity that they aren’t sacrificing staff in favour of AI, I am offering HALF PRICE training and consultancy.
Reach out if you are interested in developing your number 1 asset. #leadership #AI #economy #training
