IBM Lays Off 8,000 Employees as AI Replaces Human Roles; HR Employees Most Affected
IBM Lays Off 8,000 Employees as AI Replaces Human Roles; HR Employees Most Affected
Majority of cuts come from the HR department as company shifts toward automation
IBM has laid off approximately 8,000 employees, with a significant portion of the job losses coming from its Human Resources department. The reason behind the move appears to be the company’s increasing reliance on artificial intelligence to handle tasks previously performed by humans.
Earlier this month, IBM replaced around 200 HR roles with AI agents capable of managing tasks such as sorting data, answering employee queries, and processing internal paperwork. These tasks, once done manually, are now handled by software designed to streamline routine operations.
IBM CEO Arvind Krishna recently commented on the shift, explaining that AI and automation are being used to improve efficiency in enterprise processes. He also pointed out that overall employee numbers at IBM have increased, as the company reallocates resources to areas like software development, marketing, and sales—sectors that still require human creativity and strategy.
“The total employment has actually gone up,” Krishna said. “It gives us more investment to put into other areas.”
IBM insists that this is not a company-wide downsizing, but rather a restructuring of roles. Positions that require innovation and human judgment are still valued, while those involving repetitive, back-end tasks are increasingly at risk of being automated.
Chief Human Resources Officer Nickle LaMoreaux stated that AI will not entirely replace most jobs. Instead, it will take over repetitive elements, enabling employees to focus on more meaningful and judgment-based tasks.
Interestingly, despite the layoffs, IBM continues to promote its AI tools to clients. At its recent Think conference, the company launched new services designed to help other businesses build and deploy AI agents, compatible with platforms from OpenAI, Amazon, and Microsoft.
This move mirrors a wider industry trend. Duolingo recently announced that it would phase out human contractors in favor of AI tools. CEO Luis von Ahn said the company would gradually stop assigning tasks to humans that AI can now handle.
Similarly, Shopify CEO Tobias Lütke issued a directive in April that any new hiring must be justified by proving the task cannot be done using AI. His internal memo urged teams to envision how their work would look with AI agents already in place.
As more companies embrace AI to reduce costs and boost efficiency, traditional roles involving repetitive tasks are facing increasing pressure. The shift signals a major transformation in the global workforce landscape.
