Data analyst Ivan Ureña-Valdes had been working at Block for nearly four years. Having survived three rounds of layoffs, whether within the engineering organisation or companywide, he already had a hunch his job would eventually be cut, not because of his performance, but because of artificial intelligence (AI). It was only a matter of when.
However, while working on two of the largest projects he had ever handled at Block, he did not expect to be included in its latest round of layoffs.
Block CEO Jack Dorsey said in his annual letter to shareholders on Thursday that about 4,000 workers would be “asked to leave” or “enter into consultation.” The company had over 10,000 employees, meaning nearly half of the company’s workforce would be laid off.
Mr Valdes told Business Insider that he was in the middle of interviewing someone for a role when he got the email from Mr Dorsey.
When his co-worker asked him if he was okay, that’s when he knew he was probably getting laid off.
“I felt really bad because I was in the middle of interviewing someone. I had to tell them, ‘I was actually just let go from the company. I probably won’t be able to submit your feedback in time. Please reach out to your recruiter’,” he said.
While it was tough as the sole provider for his family, Mr Valdes said he’s grateful for the generous severance and benefits from the company.
With Mr Dorsey strongly encouraging staff to use AI tools, Mr Valdes said he quickly saw how much of his data analysis work became significantly faster and easier because of AI, describing it as a “whoa” moment when he realised how powerful the technology had become.
In the US, where growth is everything, he adds, unfortunately, “it’s inevitable that AI will continue to replace people wherever it’s financially beneficial to do so.”
In Mr Valdes’ LinkedIn post on Thursday (Feb 27), he wrote, “Today, just shy of 4 years at Block/Square, I was laid off. Feeling a mix of emotions but above all grateful to the people I got to work with and learn from,” adding that he is hoping for any possible leads for a new role.
In other news, a data scientist from Melbourne shared a similar warning, telling tech workers in the industry to consider their days numbered. /TISG
Read also: Tech layoffs stem from companies comparing ‘revenue per bot vs revenue per employee,’ netizen argues
