‘Your craft is obsolete’: WiseTech staff in limbo as AI touted as better than humans
Summary
WiseTech, a software company in logistics, plans to cut about 2,000 jobs, or nearly 30% of its workforce, over the next 18 months due to advances in artificial intelligence (AI). Employees have been waiting months to learn if they will lose their jobs, causing stress and uncertainty. The company says the changes reflect a shift in how technology is used, not just cost-cutting.Key Facts
- WiseTech has about 7,000 employees and plans to cut 2,000 jobs over 18 months.
- Job losses will especially impact product development and customer service teams, with cuts up to 50% in those areas.
- The company’s founder said AI can learn a human job within 15 minutes.
- WiseTech announced the job cuts in February but has not told individual workers if they will be laid off.
- The company describes the changes as an “organizational transformation” to adapt to AI, not just saving money.
- Employees report feeling stressed and uncertain because they keep working while waiting to hear about their future.
- A petition from employees calls for fair treatment, good severance packages, and safe ways to voice concerns.
- WiseTech compares AI’s rise to ending the era of manual coding as the main engineering task.
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