You’ve simply been laid off due to AI — right here’s what to do subsequent

AI-driven layoffs have grow to be a dominant theme of 2025 as 1000’s of staff discover themselves out of a job while firms go all-in on synthetic intelligence.

In October, tech large Amazon let go of 14,000 company workers citing investments in its largest bets together with AI. In September, Salesforce’s CEO Marc Benioff revealed the corporate had laid off 4,000 buyer assist roles, saying that AI can do 50% of the corporate’s work.

A number of firms throughout the U.S. and Europe have introduced comparable plans to grow to be leaner and extra environment friendly with AI from Accenture and Lufthansa to Klarna.

The U.S. confronted the best stage of layoffs in any October since 2003, with job cuts totaling 153,074, up 183% from September and 175% increased than the identical month a yr in the past, in accordance with a brand new report from outplacement agency Challenger, Grey & Christmas. It has been the worst yr for introduced layoffs since 2009.

On this bleak financial atmosphere, professionals who’ve misplaced their jobs on account of AI are probably pondering what their subsequent profession transfer ought to be; whether or not to transition into a brand new business or career, or learn how to beef up their arsenal of abilities.

Fabian Stephany, assistant professor of AI and work on the Oxford Web Institute, harassed how essential it’s to stay “skeptical and examine,” as a result of some firms are utilizing AI as a scapegoat for layoffs.

“Is that this actually as a result of AI? Regardless that the corporate says it is about automation and AI… it is perhaps about mishiring previously, it is perhaps about [the] financial downturn, all kinds of issues, and the recommendation on what individuals ought to do subsequent strongly is determined by whether or not it is actually about automation or whether or not it is actually about one thing else,” Stephany informed CNBC Make It in an interview.

If the layoffs are usually not actually about automation, the easy resolution is discovering the identical or comparable place at a special firm, in accordance with Stephany. For instance, if you happen to’re a software program developer, there’s nonetheless excessive demand for these jobs in different corporations.

Nonetheless, in case your position is slowly turning into out of date as a result of AI, then it is time to begin interested by upskilling.

Glassdoor’s Chief Economist Daniel Zhao informed CNBC Make It that “upskilling is usually a good technique to transfer right into a extra promising profession path.”

He mentioned whether or not you’ve got been laid off as a result of AI or different causes, it is essential to replicate on the wide selection of skillsets chances are you’ll have already got that may allow you to stand out.

Stephany referred to this because the “bundle of abilities” that any skilled would have as a result of abilities by no means are available “isolation.”

For instance, if you happen to’re a software program developer with technical abilities resembling programming languages and debugging, you may additionally have some administration and communication abilities.

Studying one thing about arts and crafts or a overseas lanague is perhaps distant out of your ability set, he mentioned. “Nonetheless, studying statistical abilities, for instance, will not be so distant as a result of technically talking, it is adjoining to the ability bundle that you’ve got.”

Trying on the “map of abilities” that you just personal may help you make reasonable selections about your future profession path and have alternatives be accessible to you, with out having to inveset large effort and cash resembling getting one other diploma.

AI literacy is turning into vital ability as most professionals and recruiters are more and more favoring staff who’re forward of the curve with AI.

Actually, LinkedIn’s Expertise on the Rise report earlier this yr discovered that AI literacy ranked high for the preferred ability that individuals are including to their profiles, in addition to how typically the class exhibits up amongst these getting employed.

“Identical to typing or pc literacy have grow to be common expectations for a lot of jobs, AI literacy is prone to grow to be a baseline requirement for jobs sooner or later,” Zhao mentioned.

He added that these “who can experiment with AI and work out learn how to apply It,” will probably be extra worthwhile to companies.

Stephany agreed saying that in his analysis, he discovered that displaying AI abilities indicators you are “operating with the know-how” and that you just’re “forward of the wave,” which is favorable to employers.

These abilities may vary from with the ability to write prompts to chatbots, debugging code or realizing learn how to use copilot.

He added that just like tapping into your adjoining skillsets, it is essential to develop AI abilities which might be complementary to your current experience.

For instance, if you happen to work in enterprise operations, there’s little profit to studying learn how to grow to be a programmer as a result of it will require more cash and energy.

Nonetheless, there’s at all times a “shut by AI software,” he mentioned. In a enterprise operation atmosphere, it will be studying learn how to successfully talk with AI and prompting the perfect responses.

There are additionally sure gentle abilities that AI can not do – it is perhaps nice at debugging code however it may possibly’t successfully handle a workforce.

“That is perhaps a ability that is really adjoining to you, as a result of perhaps you understand the software program developer, you wish to step up the sport and never solely do the coding, but additionally you handle people who find themselves engaged with know-how. That is one factor: going for these complementary abilities,” Stephany added.