One way companies are making AI backlash worse

• Many CEOs advocate AI adoption yet cite it as a driver of layoffs, creating a complex workplace dynamic.
• One company, Standard Chartered, said it plans to cut over 7,000 jobs by 2030 as tech takes on tasks.
• Despite CEOs’ enthusiasm for AI, many firms are still working to see major ROI on the technology.

The Meta spokesperson said that AI agents need real examples of how people use computers and that the company has safeguards to protect sensitive content.

Companies’ push to get workers using AI comes as many of the dramatic productivity gains executives expected from the technology have yet to materialize, said Swagatam Basu, a senior director analyst at the consulting firm Gartner.

He said many companies underestimated how difficult it would be to integrate AI effectively into daily workflows.

The challenge of getting AI to work is creating friction inside some companies. A little over half of respondents to a recent survey by Writer and Workplace Intelligence, which included 1,200 business leaders in five countries, said adopting AI is “tearing their company apart.”

One bright spot for worried workers is that not all companies are looking to cut staff. At many firms — especially midsize ones — leaders are often hesitant to make deep workforce reductions because growth still depends on experienced employees and institutional knowledge, said Jivka Batchvarova, a managing principal at advisory firm Baker Tilly.

“You’re still going to need the humans,” she said.

How do you feel about using AI at work? Let us know: