The next wave isn’t some mystery, it’s already baked into our strategy. When leadership pivots this hard into AI, it isn’t because they suddenly care about “efficiency.” It’s because they’re building a structure where human labor becomes optional.
Once the next round is done and AI systems hit their next iteration milestone, the company will need another injection of savings to justify the spend. That’s when the follow-up layoff is planned. Everyone will be surprised. It won't be because the market shifted overnight. Because massive automation projects always demand a second cut to “realize value" it's the only way we make the money from it.
And the pattern is predictable:
• automate what you can,
• offshore what you can’t,
• shrink the org until the balance sheet looks cleaner.
People keep saying, “AI can’t replace us.” But that’s exactly what these systems are being trained to do, absorb workflows, mimic decisions, and reduce headcount. It won’t replace everyone, but it will replace enough roles to hit whatever targets leadership promised the board.
We’re watching a slow-motion restructuring disguised as innovation. Employees feel it long before leadership admits it. Pretending otherwise doesn’t protect anyone, it just blindsides people who could’ve been preparing.
Leadership has already set this in motion and they know the next outcome but they're going to work you harder than ever so the AI gets trained on good data practices as you all help to make the AI perfect.
At least we don't see any government regulators coming down to regulate AI and save jobs....oh yeah, probably because the top AI company's own the AI conversation right now and they need to move fast before they lose control.
Good luck to all