Reviewing my conversations with friends, I noticed that I started using AI exactly 2 years ago, in April 2023. Since then, it has become one of the tools I use on a daily basis in my professional life to write code, review my texts, generate images, etc.
It has been said that AI was going to reshape the workplace and make a lot of jobs obsolete.
Besides the fact that I am living in a remote area, almost at the end of the world, I am sort of working as a hermit and through the years I lost touch with the corporate world so I am wondering what is happening in your area.
Wherever youāre working, have you personally seen people being replaced by AI?
In my experience, itās less about AI walking in and taking over someoneās desk.
For example:
Content & Marketing: Iāve seen companies reduce headcount or hire fewer juniors because tools like ChatGPT/Gemini help small teams produce more content faster.
QA & Testing: tools like Testim, Katalon and even GitHub Copilot for unit testing have sped up a lot of mundane testing tasks.
I use AI almost daily, both at work and for finding information and it really helps me be more efficient. Iāve heard a lot about AI replacing jobs but personally, I havenāt seen it happen yet.
do you think the impact of AI replacing jobs might be happening more subtly rather than through outright layoffs? Like, maybe tasks are getting automated bit by bit, reducing the need to hire more people rather than directly firing them?
Absolutely ā many companies are integrating AI in place of human roles. For instance, BT plans to replace around 10,000 customerāservice positions with AIādriven systems by 2030 . In healthcare, AI chatbots and virtual agents have supplanted numerous customerāservice reps, boosting efficiency but reducing headcount.
Yes ā many firms quietly automate and slow hiring rather than mass firing. Some like Klarna paused recruitment entirely a year ago, letting attrition shrink staff by 20 % while AI covers routine tasks.
Iāve already seen some sites that have switched to full AI tech support. Itās just terrible and doesnāt make sense, because such things should be done by humans and not by AI, especially when itās poorly configured and just learning. Yes, there are people there, and apparently there are 2 people in total who answer questions and are ready to help, and then you have to wait a week for an answer somewhere.
The reason for my original post - perhaps I wasnāt clear enough, or the conversation got derailed ā was to hear about firsthand experiences of people being replaced by AI, or directly witnessing workers replaced by AI.
Like you, Iāve read vague comments about this happening, but rarely with concrete examples.
You mentioned healthcare or āmany firmsā, but could you specify a particular institution or role where this occurred?
Iām trying to separate speculation from actual cases.
Can we consider AI replacement if a robot replaced a human at the factory? If so, I think it started a long time ago, and many hard workers have stories about how they were replaced by AI.
Although I also have no direct proof to back up @Farhanās statements I would add that it is quite obvious the change in real human for AI on most website instant chats. Energy companies and broadband companies used to have real people, now when I try and use the chat feature it is automated and more often than not I end up having to wait to be āput through to an agentā as the bot cannot answer my question.
As for actual proof I am aware of, my kids primary school used to have two receptionist/office admin people. When one of them left, instead of replacing them they opted to use self service online tools for the parents to report absences etc. Which in some respects sounds reasonable but it has left the other receptionist struggling as everything else now falls on them. It got to the point she was being interrupted in her lunch break so much that she now goes home for lunch to ensure she canāt be hassled. Which leaves a part of the day when it is hard to get hold of a person if you need something outside of the automated systems.
Greatly highlighted a really important real-world impact of automation that often gets glossed over in big discussions about AI. Itās easy to focus on the convenience or cost-saving benefits, but the ripple effects on human jobs and even simple day-to-day interactions are very real.
Other side I have personally noticed is the emotional disconnect that comes with AI replacing human support. especially in sensitive areas like healthcare, education or even customer service. people arenāt just seeking answers theyāre often looking for empathy.
Also wonder about,
If more and more front line human roles disappear, Are we also slowly losing opportunities for basic human skills development like conflict resolution, empathy and problem-solving under pressure?
Really interesting questionāand yes, Iāve seen a few instances where AI has started to replace certain roles, especially in areas like customer service (chatbots), data entry, and automated reporting. But from what Iāve experienced, itās more about transformation than full-on replacement.
In tech, for example, AI tools are definitely making tasks like code suggestions, testing, and bug fixing fasterābut they still need human oversight. Developers arenāt being replaced; theyāre just getting new tools that make them more productive. Iāve also seen designers and marketers adopt AI for faster content generation, but creativity and strategy still need a human touch.
Overall, I think AI is reshaping roles rather than removing them entirely. The people who adapt and learn how to work alongside AI are the ones who thrive. Itās less about fearing AI and more about learning how to use it to our advantage.
Curious to hear how others have seen this play out in different industries!
This is what the OP is really interested in. Were they companies you worked for? certain industries? Not asking for names, but can you be more specific?
Corobi is interested to hear concrete examples where people have been replaced. For example Noppy gave the example of his kids primary school. Iām guessing Corobi wants to know whether this is actually happening or whether it is it a lot of sensationalism, scare mongering and click-bait?
Not direct replacements, but Iāve seen AI reduce the need for certain tasksāespecially repetitive ones. Itās more about changing roles than outright replacing people so far.
Like you, I use AI in my daily work (mostly for code generation and automating routine tasks like writing documentation), but I havenāt come across any direct cases of people being replaced by AI. I work in a small web dev team, and for us, AI is more of an assistant than a replacement. For example, we use tools like Copilot to speed up coding, but final decisions and creative tasks still stay with humans.
That said, Iāve heard from friends in larger companies that some roles, like data processing or customer support, are starting to get partially automated. For instance, chatbots are increasingly handling initial customer service inquiries. But it seems like full replacement is still a ways offāAI doesnāt yet handle non-standard situations as well as humans do.