AI isn’t coming for jobs—it’s already replacing them by the thousands, report shows

Since the rise of ChatGPT and other generative AI chatbots, there has been a growing anxiety about how the new technology could impact the job market. While there have been various warnings from tech leaders that AI will lead to widespread job loss and perhaps even an upending of the economy as we know it, there hasn’t been a lot of evidence to suggest that such a large-scale action has happened until now.

AI-linked layoffs cross 27,000 since 2023, report finds

A new report by CBS News has now revealed that the adoption of generative AI is already leading to thousands of job cuts in the US.

The publication, while citing a report released by Challenger, Gray and Christmas, stated that AI led to more than 10,000 job cuts in July in the United States.

It noted that there have been over 27,000 job cuts since 2023 that can be directly linked to the advent of artificial intelligence.

Who is getting most impacted by AI? The report states that the impact of AI on hiring is most visible among younger workers, with entry-level corporate roles available to college graduates declining by over 15% in the past year. Meanwhile, there has been a 400% increase over the last two years in employees using “AI” in their job descriptions.

“The industry is being reshaped by the advancement of artificial intelligence and ongoing uncertainty surrounding work visas, which have contributed to workforce reductions,” Challenger, Gray & Christmas said.

Many previous reports have hinted that white-collar jobs are most at risk of being eliminated by AI.

In a report last month quoted by NBC, Andrew Challenger, senior vice president at the company, said, “There are roles that can be significantly changed by AI right now, but I’m not talking to too many HR leaders who say AI is replacing jobs.”

Last month, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy had also stated that AI would lead to a reduction in the company’s total corporate workforce as it derives ‘efficiency gains’ from the new technology.

Meanwhile, there are also other reasons for job losses in the US, with over 292,000 jobs being terminated owing to the cuts implemented by the Department of Government Efficiency, which was previously led by Elon Musk.