"I had a hunch that, at some point, the company would cut people because of AI. I just didn't think it would be right now. Working at Block, I saw how AI was automating tasks away. I've survived three rounds of layoffs, some companywide, some engineering organization-wide. I knew I wasn't being let go for performance-related reasons."
"For 4,000-plus people to be cut without anybody knowing, that tells me decisions were made very high up. A coworker messaged me: 'Hey, are you okay?' My heart started racing. I knew from that message it meant that I was probably getting laid off. I'm the sole provider for my family. It was tough."
Ivan Ureña-Valdes, a data analyst at Block for nearly four years, was laid off in a surprise mass reduction affecting over 4,000 employees. Despite surviving three previous layoffs and performing well on significant projects, he was terminated as part of what he believes were AI-driven cuts. Ureña-Valdes had anticipated such reductions based on witnessing AI automation of analytical tasks during his tenure. The layoff was unexpected and sudden, with minimal advance warning. As the sole provider for his family, the termination created immediate financial hardship. He credits leadership for transparency about the AI-related nature of the cuts, distinguishing this from typical performance-based layoffs.
Read at Business Insider
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