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Workers across the U.S. are worried that they could be replaced by AI, and a new feature story about Amazon from Fortune’s Jason Del Rey shows what those fears look like up close.
The company says it laid off more than 100 workers in various customer service departments—although insiders told Fortune upwards of 600 roles may have been cut. And the employees who managed to keep their jobs are worried they’re being used to train their AI replacements.
Company executives recently required that all customer service employees use an internal software tool called AC3 to resolve customer complaints, which gives them a direct Q&A dialogue to follow. These agents also noticed that when AC3 straightens out a refund problem, the final message addresses a customer rather than an employee. That has led Amazon workers to believe that the tech is meant for customers to use independently, settling issues themselves without human assistance.
One customer service manager told Fortune that when they confronted their boss about the issue, they confirmed that the cloud software is being trained to replace the frontline agents. An Amazon representative did not provide comment to Fortune on this workforce concern.
“I spoke to a dozen Amazon customer service employees for this article and many believe it’s a matter of when, not if, they lose their job to AI. And I found it quite telling that Amazon PR chose not to comment about these fears.”
Amazon’s customer service workers aren’t the only ones worried that they will eventually be replaced by AI. “Fear of becoming obsolete” is a growing labor force anxiety, and with good reason. Around 4,600 American workers have already lost their jobs to AI between May of 2023 and this January of 2024, according to outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc. Executives are well-aware of these labor shifts, too—nearly half of company leaders say ChatGPT has replaced employees at their businesses, according to a survey from ResumeBuilder.com.
Sectors like customer services are particularly vulnerable to AI disruption, according to a new report from McKinsey. Other roles that could be in the crosshairs include sales, food services, and production and manufacturing. Goldman Sachs predicted AI would automate 300 million roles by 2030, and OpenAI board member Larry Summers says the tech could eventually replace “almost all forms of human labor.” Industry titans like IBM have already opened up about the AI-employee switcheroo, whittling down some HR-related staff from 700 to 50 workers due to tech innovations.
The AI revolution is here, and it’s going to be messy. In bracing themselves for changes to come, companies should address tech fears within their own workforce, have open conversations about the ethics of AI, and assure staffers that humans will have a place in the future of automated work.
Emma Burleigh
emma.burleigh@fortune.com
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Watercooler
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