Welcome to the great AI hiring freeze, where companies aren’t struggling, they’re just not hiring... at all. What now...? 😰
Forget the old excuses... hiring freezes aren't about recessions or budget cuts anymore.
Companies are freezing entire job categories, not just for months, but indefinitely.
Marc Benioff didn’t sugarcoat it. He didn’t issue a soft warning. He made it an official public announcement: Salesforce will stop hiring software engineers in 2025 because AI is handling the work.
Hiring freezes used to be about economic downturns or cost-cutting. But this one is different. It’s about efficiency. It’s about a workforce that AI is making obsolete before it even gets hired.
And it’s not just Salesforce...
Microsoft: Layoffs targeting "low performers" across multiple divisions.
Meta: 3,600 jobs cut, equivalent to 5% of its workforce.
Amazon: Downsized its communications team.
Google: Offered buyouts to hardware and platform teams, signaling deeper cuts ahead.
Intel: 15,000 job cuts planned by 2025.
IBM: Openly stated they won’t hire for jobs that AI can handle.
Some are still calling this a “slowdown.” And I think that's a little too naive.
AI is no longer an experiment. It’s the new workforce. And it’s about time we see AI for what it is: A permanent restructuring of how work gets done.
AI didn’t take your job… it took the jobs of the future
A layoff is one thing.
It means a company still needs the job, just with fewer people.
A hiring freeze is worse.
It implies that the work is still happening, just without hiring humans to do it.
AI is boosting productivity by 30 to 40 percent across industries, cutting down the need for traditional roles. That’s why companies are moving money into AI instead of new hires, reshaping everything from finance to healthcare to creative work.
Healthcare: AI-driven diagnostics are now 20 percent more accurate than human radiologists, cutting costs by 50 percent. That means fewer specialists needed to review scans.
Finance: AI is eliminating thousands of risk-assessment and fraud-detection jobs, while adding billions in efficiency gains.
Retail and E-commerce: AI-powered customer service is making 40 percent of traditional support roles redundant, with automated inventory systems replacing operational teams.
Creative Work: AI-generated content, ads, and even full marketing campaigns are forcing agencies to slash headcounts. The creative industry isn’t disappearing, but it’s getting a radical talent reshuffle.
AI isn’t respecting industry lines, it’s rewriting every single one. And I guarantee, the ones still calling this a tech industry issue will be in for a shock.
Here are 3 possible futures…
This shift is already here. How it plays out depends on how fast people and companies adapt.
AI-accelerated workforce (Best case scenario)
AI augments human roles, increasing efficiency without mass layoffs. Companies invest in reskilling rather than cutting jobs entirely. AI-driven job creation balances job loss.
In July 2024, Fluor Corporationused AI-powered workforce management systems to improve productivity by 12 percent. Rather than eliminating jobs, AI optimized scheduling, enhanced training, and allowed workers to focus on higher-value tasks.
This is AI done right…! An example that AI doesn’t have to be a job killer… but a force multiplier.
The great divide (Most likely scenario)
The AI-literate thrive, while those clinging to outdated roles get left behind. Wage gaps widen. The middle class erodes as AI-driven efficiency shrinks the workforce.
The UK is already seeing this divide. In May 2023, BT Group (British Telecom) announced plans to cut up to 55,000 jobs by 2030, with 10,000 roles being replaced by AI.
The AI-skilled will find new opportunities, but those without AI expertise could run out of options.
AI workforce collapse (Worst case scenario)
AI adoption outpaces job transformation. Millions of people find themselves without roles and without the skills to transition. Governments scramble to react… too late.
A November 2024 report from the Tony Blair Institute warns that AI could displace up to 3 million jobs in the UK over the next two decades. The problem..? There’s no national reskilling plan at scale. If this pattern continues, the gap will become irreversible, with entire sectors collapsing before workers get a chance to adapt.
Most companies won’t get this transition right. And most people won’t be AI-ready.
Where you land will be based on how quickly you act as early as now.
Your only way forward
Forget the old wage gap debates. The new divide is AI-skilled vs. AI-illiterate.
AI-literate professionals are already seeing 30 percent higher salaries. Companies want people who know how to manage AI, refine it, and leverage it for greater impact. If your resume doesn’t scream AI-ready, you are already behind.
So, here’s what you can do:
Find the AI-proofed roles in your industry. Every job is evolving, whether you’re in marketing, operations, finance, or sales. Figure out where the value is shifting.
Make yourself indispensable. If your company hasn’t introduced AI yet, be an AI-Firestarter and lead the conversation. The people who drive AI adoption internally will be the ones who stay.
Get AI-literate. Talking about AI isn’t enough. Reading about it isn’t enough. Use it. Apply it. Master it.
If AI isn’t already part of your daily workflow, now is the time to change that. And If you’re looking for a solid starting point, Final Upgrade AI’s primer sessions can help you get there.
Final reality check: AI is reshaping work forever
AI is redefining who gets hired, who gets promoted, and who becomes IRRELEVANT.
The hiring freeze is proof: companies are moving forward with AI instead.
This is not a time for hesitation anymore. If you’re not adapting, you’re not just missing opportunities, you’re making yourself optional.
The companies that embrace AI now will dominate the next decade. The professionals who adapt early will be the ones still standing when the dust settles.
It’s still early in 2025... but by this time next year, the gap between AI-ready and AI-irrelevant will be even wider.
Will this be the year you take control of AI, or the year AI replaces you...?
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