Amazon CEO Andy Jassy has provoked controversy following his revelation that the company's white-collar employees will be greatly diminished in the next few years through the use of artificial intelligence (AI).
In a company memo, Jassy listed "efficiency gains" as the primary motive, but the response from employees was immediate and overwhelmingly hostile.
Corporate Workers Slam Jassy Over AI Layoff Plans
On internal Slack channels, corporate Amazon employees berated Jassy's message, decrying his management style and the company's unapologetic drive for automation. Business Insider reviewed dozens of messages on three large internal groups with thousands of employees and found an intense current of fear, frustration, and resistance.
According to Insider, one worker sarcastically wrote that nothing is more inspiring on Tuesday than reading that a person's role will be replaced by AI within the next few years.
Others even wondered if Amazon's leaders would have any accountability themselves, and some criticized Jassy for putting cost-cutting ahead of long-term innovation.
Read more: Amazon Prime Day 2025 Rumors Are True—4-Day Mega Sale Set for July 8 to 11 And It's the Longest Ever
AI Efficiency vs. Workforce Preservation
Behind this backlash, a larger argument of displacing or complementing workers with AI is present.
Many employees pushed back against the idea of using AI purely to downsize the workforce. Instead, they proposed viewing AI as a productivity partner that could help scale operations without sacrificing jobs.
"We need to lead the change in reframing AI as partners (even teammates or colleagues) rather than AI as replacements or tools. It's a slightly different vision than the one Andy alludes to," one person wrote.
One of the employees was critical of faulty reasoning in measuring company success only in terms of headcount cuts, contending that customer satisfaction and innovation should be more important.
AI Reliability and Ethical Concerns
Although some employees conceded that AI software is convenient, particularly in summarizing reports or accelerating redundant tasks, they cautioned against too much dependence.
One staff member said that it has real-world consequences, referencing the dangers of treating information generated by AI as an absolute fact. For this person, it's a worrying cycle that involves using AI to solve issues it might have caused in the first place.
Employee Morale Deteriorates Due to Fears of Layoffs
Jassy's memo created new concerns about impending layoffs, particularly as Amazon continues to halt hiring in certain areas of its business, including retail. Workers were fearful of any executive message, viewing it as another measure toward employment uncertainty.
Another message pointed out that although AI may replace middle management, it's not known if Amazon's highest-level executives, who've expanded in numbers, would similarly be scrutinized.
For Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, AI will create more jobs. He believed that the technology would reinvent more jobs in the future.
ⓒ 2025 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
