This isn’t the first or last company to replace employees with AI. But this time, it’s beneficial for employees! In 2023, IBM took a bold step in integrating artificial intelligence by replacing 8,000 positions, primarily in human resources, with automated solutions.
This decision was part of an ambitious strategy: to automate up to 30% of repetitive tasks to free up resources and optimize productivity. The company deployed AskHR, a conversational agent that took over more than 90% of HR functions, such as leave management and payroll processing.
The result? An impressive saving of $3.5 billion, affecting over 70 job roles within the company.
AI: A winning bet for innovation?
Far from merely reducing its workforce, IBM surprised by increasing its total number of employees after this wave of layoffs. Under CEO Arvind Krishna, the savings were reinvested in strategic, high-value-added sectors.
The company massively recruited qualified profiles, including software engineers, sales representatives, and marketing specialists. These roles, where creativity and human skills remain essential, allowed IBM to strengthen its position in innovative fields.
See also on this topic: Can ChatGPT replace a psychologist’s job?
AI eliminates… and creates jobs!
IBM’s experience illustrates a fascinating dynamic of the labor market in the AI era: the elimination of repetitive jobs is often accompanied by the creation of new positions, often better paid and more skilled.
This phenomenon challenges the idea that AI only destroys jobs. By intelligently reinvesting productivity gains, IBM transformed a workforce reduction into an opportunity for growth.
Read also: Klarna regrets replacing its employees with AI
A model to be nuanced?
IBM is not an isolated case. Other sectors, such as the editorial offices of major newspapers like Le Point, which cut 58 jobs in France, or the company Duolingo, which replaced its external providers with AI, have experimented with automation with mixed results. In some cases, companies had to rehire after underestimating the importance of human skills.
These experiences highlight an essential truth: automation is not a universal solution. Its success depends on companies’ ability to balance technology and human intervention, while reorienting their resources towards promising areas.
Towards a hybrid future?
IBM’s case shows that AI can be a lever for positive transformation, provided it is accompanied by a strategic vision. By automating routine tasks, companies unlock potential to invest in innovation and human talent.
However, this transition requires rigorous planning and a keen understanding of market needs. At a time when AI is reshaping the contours of work, IBM’s example offers a valuable lesson: technology is not an end in itself, but a means to build a more dynamic and inclusive future.
Source: The Wall Street Journal
