Amazon, Meta and Applied Materials are among the tech giants that have laid off over 1,400 Bay Area workers this week, with the latest being Amazon's decision to cut 137 jobs in San Francisco. The layoffs are a result of the shift towards artificial intelligence (AI) and other cutting-edge technologies.
According to Amazon, the job cuts are permanent and will affect approximately 14,000 employees worldwide. In an open letter to its employees on October 28, senior vice president Beth Galetti explained that the company needs to reduce its workforce due to changes in the industry. The layoffs have left many workers uncertain about their futures.
The latest disclosures reveal that Amazon will be cutting 780 jobs across multiple locations in the Bay Area, with San Francisco being one of them. Other affected areas include Sunnyvale, Palo Alto and Santa Clara. The company plans to conduct these layoffs on January 26, but some may take place as early as late February or March.
Other tech companies are also under pressure from AI, including Applied Materials and Meta Platforms. Applied Materials is eliminating 363 Bay Area jobs, while Meta Platforms is reducing its staffing levels by 308 employees. Both companies have described their layoffs as permanent.
The job cuts come as the tech industry grapples with a significant shift towards AI and other emerging technologies. According to Russell Hancock, president of Joint Venture Silicon Valley, the industry is trying to stay small and nimble in response to these changes.
"The world is changing quickly," Hancock said. "This generation of AI is the most transformative technology we've seen since the Internet."
As the tech giants navigate this new landscape, many workers are left wondering about their futures and how they can adapt to a rapidly changing industry.
According to Amazon, the job cuts are permanent and will affect approximately 14,000 employees worldwide. In an open letter to its employees on October 28, senior vice president Beth Galetti explained that the company needs to reduce its workforce due to changes in the industry. The layoffs have left many workers uncertain about their futures.
The latest disclosures reveal that Amazon will be cutting 780 jobs across multiple locations in the Bay Area, with San Francisco being one of them. Other affected areas include Sunnyvale, Palo Alto and Santa Clara. The company plans to conduct these layoffs on January 26, but some may take place as early as late February or March.
Other tech companies are also under pressure from AI, including Applied Materials and Meta Platforms. Applied Materials is eliminating 363 Bay Area jobs, while Meta Platforms is reducing its staffing levels by 308 employees. Both companies have described their layoffs as permanent.
The job cuts come as the tech industry grapples with a significant shift towards AI and other emerging technologies. According to Russell Hancock, president of Joint Venture Silicon Valley, the industry is trying to stay small and nimble in response to these changes.
"The world is changing quickly," Hancock said. "This generation of AI is the most transformative technology we've seen since the Internet."
As the tech giants navigate this new landscape, many workers are left wondering about their futures and how they can adapt to a rapidly changing industry.
1,400 jobs gone already? that's crazy talk! it feels like companies are just trying to cut costs and stay ahead in this AI game 
but what about the people affected? i mean I get it, change is scary, but don't they have any other tricks up their sleeve? 
or should we just be expecting this shift towards AI as the new normal? 
idk about me, but I'm kinda worried about my own future in tech... 
like what's going on with all these layoffs? 
first it's AI, then what? 
. It feels like just yesterday we were hearing about how tech giants were gonna create a million new jobs and now they're basically saying "screw it" to entire communities 
. Anyone have any ideas on how these workers are supposed to adapt to this rapidly changing landscape? 
it's like the whole world is changin so fast and we gotta keep up 
. But seriously, it's like the tech giants are trying to reboot themselves for the AI era. It's like they're saying "you know what? We've got this automation thing figured out, we don't need you anymore"... meanwhile the rest of us are over here still trying to figure out how to use Alexa 
i mean, can't they just give 'em some notice or something? 137 jobs cut in sf is a big deal too... like, what even happened there? 
anywayz, gotta respect amazon's attempt to stay ahead of the curve 
.
I mean, 14,000 employees worldwide is a huge number... like, what's the logic here? You're just gonna cut jobs and hope everyone else adjusts, no big deal. Newsflash: it's not that easy! 
I mean, it's like, on one hand, these big companies need to cut costs and stay competitive in the AI era, so yeah, maybe the layoffs are necessary. But, on the other hand, 14,000 jobs worldwide is a huge number! It feels like a lot of people are being let go without much warning or support 
. I mean, they're the king of online shopping or somethin', but can't even keep their own employees employed 
. I mean, what's the point of havin' all that money if you can't even keep your employees employed? 
. AI is taking over, and it's only natural that the tech giants would want to downsize their workforce. But what about all those workers who are left in the dark? Are they just going to be left behind? 
. I hope that's not the future we want to create. We need to make sure that these workers have a safety net and support systems in place to help them transition to new roles. Otherwise, we'll lose a generation of talented individuals who could be contributing to so much more than just AI 
... I'm sure it's not easy to face uncertain futures 