In a strongly worded note to Amazon staff, CEO Andy Jassy called generative AI the most transformative technology since the Internet. Comparing the impact to a seismic shift, Jassy said those who embrace AI and become fluent in its applications will be crucial to the company’s reinvention. He emphasized that Amazon is investing heavily in AI tools, large language models (LLMs), and intelligent agents that will streamline work and drive productivity.
His words come at a time when the tech industry is facing a surge in job cuts — a trend many believe is directly tied to the AI boom.
62,832 Tech Layoffs in 2025: A Harsh Reality
According to Layoffs.FYI, a site that tracks global tech layoffs, more than 62,832 technology workers have already been let go this year, with many firms restructuring their workforce to focus on AI-centric roles. Amazon, Google, Meta, and Microsoft are among the companies reducing headcounts in areas like customer service, operations, and traditional software engineering — all roles increasingly being automated or transformed by generative AI.
The Amazon chief specifically forewarned that the workforce will shrink not because of cost-cutting alone but due to a genuine shift in how work is done.
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Changing Jobs, Not Just Cutting Them
Jassy clarified that while some jobs will disappear, new roles will emerge. He predicted a transition where fewer people would perform repetitive, process-based tasks, and more would take on strategic, AI-enhanced work. The transformation, he added, isn’t about firing people — it’s about adapting the workforce to what’s coming.
“We’re going to need fewer people for some things and more people for other things,” Jassy wrote.
A Wake-Up Call to Tech Professionals
For employees in the tech industry, the message is clear: upskill or risk obsolescence. As AI tools take on complex decision-making, routine coding, and customer interactions, workers who understand how to deploy, train, and manage AI systems will find themselves in demand. The rest may need to pivot or re-skill — quickly.
Earlier this year, Amazon also laid off over 100 employees in its retail division as part of a broader restructuring.
Jassy’s message, while direct, also offers a roadmap: embrace AI, retool your skillset, and help reinvent the organization — or risk being left behind.