Artificial intelligence is already eliminating jobs: It's not a future concern | Tali Nir
The wave of layoffs in high-tech and the preference for experienced employees signal that artificial intelligence is already changing the labor market. Israel must establish short and accessible training tracks that will allow employees to update their skills, change professions, and remain relevant.
We tend to discuss artificial intelligence (AI) as if it were a philosophical debate: will it replace us or empower us? Will it bring mass unemployment or prosperity? Yet, while we argue, the change is already happening on the ground, affecting precisely those who were supposed to feel the most secure in the labor market.
In a recent comprehensive study, almost all surveyed CEOs admitted they expect AI developments to lead to widespread layoffs in their companies. According to the 'Global Talent Trends' report by the consulting firm Mercer, an absolute majority of senior executives are preparing for workforce cuts.
However, the picture is complex. In recent weeks, two heads of the world's largest AI companies, Sam Altman of OpenAI and Dario Amodei of Anthropic, have walked back their gloomy predictions about technology taking over white-collar jobs. Yet, one conclusion is clear: we will all likely have to learn to work differently.
In recent weeks, a wave of layoffs has swept through the high-tech sector in Israel and globally. Meta is laying off approximately 8,000 employees, including dozens in Israel. Microsoft, Snap, PayPal, and Intuit are also downsizing, and international companies have closed entire development centers in the country. While not all layoffs are directly caused by AI, they point to a deep trend: companies are pouring hundreds of billions of dollars into AI infrastructure while simultaneously demanding less general staff and more automation.
This is no longer a forecast. A study by the Taub Center from last April found that AI is already responsible for a significant portion of the rise in unemployment among programmers and sales representatives. The most disturbing message is who is paying the price: employers increasingly prefer experienced employees who use technology to streamline their work, while juniors are being pushed out. The real debate is not whether AI is good or bad, but whether the state has a plan that allows people to update themselves in time.
It is important to state: this is not an article against degrees. A degree is an asset, providing depth, thinking, and a foundation. But a degree usually takes three or four years, and the world is changing at a different pace. People cannot bet on one path only to discover it is closed, without having a short, practical, and dignified way to update their skills.
Israel must invest much more in short professional training, from six to eight months, not as a solution for those who 'do not fit into academia,' but as a national infrastructure for everyone. We need tracks that allow for retraining, skill upgrading, and moving between roles, with quality standards, real connections to employers, practical experience, and clear certification. Above all, these must be accessible to employees and parents who cannot stop their lives for years to remain relevant.
The author is the chair and founder of the 121 organization, which leads 'The Springboard' (HaMikpatza), in which 50 organizations participate to promote investment in employment development.
