Current and former Block workers say AI can't do their jobs after Jack Dorsey's mass layoffs: You can't really AI that'

"Mark, who worked in the product department, discussed his worries with colleagues. While he wasn't sure what would happen in a few years, he told a co-worker sitting next to him that for now, there was no way the technology was so advanced that it could move the business forward without employees like him to help drive vision and strategy. These AI tools were not proactive. He had to tell them what to do."

"CEO Jack Dorsey said he cut the company's workforce almost in half because of gains in AI productivity. A significantly smaller team, using the tools we're building, can do more and do it better, Dorsey wrote in a letter to shareholders."

"Seven current and recently laid off workers pushed back against Dorsey's assertions that current AI tools can essentially replace workers at this scale. The workers the Guardian spoke with requested anonymity for fear of jeopardising their jobs or severance. They belong to various departments, including engineering and product, and several say Block's AI tools can be helpful in their work."

Block, a fintech company, laid off approximately 4,000 employees—nearly half its workforce—with CEO Jack Dorsey attributing the cuts to productivity gains from internal AI tools. Dorsey stated that a smaller team using these tools could accomplish more work more effectively. However, seven current and recently laid off workers from various departments, including engineering and product, contested these assertions in interviews. While acknowledging that AI tools can be helpful, these employees argued that current AI technology lacks the proactive capabilities and strategic vision necessary to replace human workers at such scale. Some workers suggested the layoffs were primarily a strategic repositioning move to restore investor confidence following Block's stock decline related to cryptocurrency investments, rather than a genuine reflection of AI capabilities.

Read at www.theguardian.com