I Worked for Block. Its A.I. Job Cuts Aren't What They Seem

begemotz

>It makes sense for companies to show Wall Street that they understand the assignment: adapt or die. It matters less whether a company knows how to deploy A.I. and more whether investors believe it is on track to do so. In that respect, it doesn’t matter whether a company’s stated rationale is sincere or not. Once it announces it is cutting jobs for A.I., the remaining workers have no choice but to buy into that vision. this is how it works sadly. Short term optics for mid-term pain (most likely)

ChrisArchitect

https://archive.ph/cI8mz

apparent

> Wall Street rewarded Block handsomely, sending the company’s stock up 24 percent after the announcement. Whoa, did not realize this.

flashbaby

The dynamic described here - companies using AI as cover for cuts that were coming anyway - gets captured really well in this short film where an employee uses AI to massively exceed his Q3 targets, and the company fires him for it. Not because he underperformed, but because his success proved they could replace the whole team. https://youtu.be/O5FFkHUdKyE The uncomfortable truth is that being good at using AI doesn't protect you. It just accelerates the timeline for your own replacement.