August rundown: Are AI job losses a fantasy?

The text "Are AI job losses a fantasy?" against a blue sky. The words "AI job losses" are in yellow, the rest are in white. In the bottom-right corner, the ITPro podcast is shown. — (Image credit: Future)

In a recent episode of the podcast, we discussed the potential for AI to actually replace developer jobs. This is a complicated issue, as one has to consider both the accuracy of outputs – how well LLMs can code – as well as what execs think it can do.

Well, AWS CEO Matt Garman has weighed in this month, calling replacing devs with AI “the dumbest thing” he’s ever heard. Elsewhere in August, Cisco has engaged in a round of layoffs, despite healthy figures in its recent financial report.

What does all this mean for tech jobs at large?

In this episode Jane and Rory welcome back Ross Kelly, ITPro’s news and analysis editor, to explain why tech jobs have become such a hot talking point this August.

Highlights

"Microsoft's been so vocal in AI over the last two years because it was the first mover, the early starter so to speak, in this iteration of the AI race. AWS is, when you look at the areas that they've operated in as a trio in the cloud industry, AWS is the old guard. It's perhaps a little bit more cautious conservative in that regard."

"This isn't something new. We had small rounds of cuts at Microsoft earlier this summer and engineers were disproportionately affected by that. I don't think it necessarily signals anything to do with AI, but I think more the fact that Cisco's just reported some seriously strong financial results."

"A big talking point within the financial report is around AI, infrastructure and services, a big revenue driver there. Cisco has been on a real, I want to say warpath, but they've been on a big push here over the last 18 months."

Footnotes

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Rory Bathgate is Features and Multimedia Editor at ITPro, overseeing all in-depth content and case studies. He can also be found co-hosting the ITPro Podcast with Jane McCallion, swapping a keyboard for a microphone to discuss the latest learnings with thought leaders from across the tech sector.

In his free time, Rory enjoys photography, video editing, and good science fiction. After graduating from the University of Kent with a BA in English and American Literature, Rory undertook an MA in Eighteenth-Century Studies at King’s College London. He joined ITPro in 2022 as a graduate, following four years in student journalism. You can contact Rory at rory.bathgate@futurenet.com or on LinkedIn.

Highlights

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