We used to worry AI would take our jobs.
Now we worry it won’t even let us apply.
Job seekers are already adapting to a new reality: resumes scanned by bots, cover letters parsed for tone, interviews scheduled, or cancelled, by algorithms. The first gatekeeper isn’t human anymore. It’s a machine trained to detect “fit,” “potential,” and “vibes.”
But here’s the twist: the same AI that hires you is now trained to fire you.
The Rise of the Robo-Boss
According to a ResumeBuilder survey:
- 66% of managers use AI to help decide who gets laid off.
- 64% use AI to assist with terminations.
- 1 in 5 managers let AI make the final decision, no human input.
Most of these managers haven’t received formal AI training. But hey, who needs ethics when you’ve got efficiency?
Real-World Layoffs, AI-Style
- Fiverr laid off 250 employees to become an “AI-first company.” CEO Micha Kaufman told staff to “automate 100% of your job” then fired them for doing it.
- Klarna replaced 700 workers with AI. Customer service tanked. They’re now scrambling to rehire humans.
- UPS, Duolingo, Cisco, and Microsoft have all replaced thousands of roles with AI systems.
Surveillance Is Already Here
If you think AI only decides who gets hired or fired, think again.
- Companies like Walmart, Starbucks, Chevron, and AstraZeneca use AI from a startup called Aware to monitor employee messages on Slack, Teams, and Zoom. It tracks sentiment, toxicity, and compliance.
- Microsoft Workplace Analytics tracks email response times, meeting overload, and after-hours work. It can even predict burnout.
- In China, AI surveillance is already embedded in the workplace.
Construction sites use facial recognition and biological ID to track workers 24/7. AI flags loitering, missing helmets, and even fights. The system sends alerts and logs everything, no supervisor needed.
The Invisible Pink Slip
Imagine this:
You’re working late. You hit your targets. But one morning, your access is revoked. No meeting. No explanation. Just a system-generated message:
“Your role has been restructured.”
You were hired by AI.
You were monitored by AI.
And now, you’ve been fired by AI.
Final Thought
AI doesn’t hate you.
It doesn’t care about you.
It just calculates.
And if we don’t build safeguards, the second interview won’t come, not because you weren’t good enough, but because the algorithm said so.
References
- ResumeBuilder: Half of managers use AI to determine who gets promoted and fired
- Fiverr lays off 250 employees to become an AI-first company
- Klarna regrets firing 700 workers with AI, scrambles to rehire
- Forbes: Klarna, UPS, Duolingo, Cisco replacing workers with AI
- CNBC: AI might be reading your Slack and Teams messages
- Microsoft Workplace Analytics Overview
- China: AI used to monitor workers on construction sites
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