It’s hard enough competing with a fellow human being for a job position. You may be up against a more experienced applicant who has been in the workforce for decades longer than you. They may have the right connections to land an interview, or they’ve been trained on a very particular system that your previous jobs never required. Even if you manage to get to the interview stage, there’s no guarantee that your competitor won’t say all the right things at the right time, squandering all hope you had for filling that position. But once you get the job, the stress should stop there, right?

In many ways, the incoming “AI workforce” trumps human ability in the realms of experience, connections, and efficiency. Even though it remains relatively new in the business sector, it has managed to infiltrate administrative, customer service, and analytical roles, streamlining operations and reducing labor costs across the board. AI doesn’t need to interview for a position, craft the perfect resume and cover letter, undergo training, or even earn a wage. No wonder people assumed AI was poised to take human jobs for the last few decades. Unfortunately, those assumptions have become a reality as of 2025. Companies like Salesforce, Meta, and Workday have recently announced plans to lay off thousands of employees to expand their capacity for AI learning.

SalesForce

Unnamed sources have reported that SalesForce will cut approximately 1,000 roles to boost its AI capacity. Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff has announced an ambitious hiring initiative to bring on as many as 2,000 new employees to drive sales of the company’s Agentforce AI platform. As the company prepares to release its earnings later this month, its workforce currently stands at roughly 73,000 employees.

This news has evoked mixed emotions from current employees and interested bystanders. For some, Salesforce layoffs and subsequent mass hiring represent the growing and inevitable reliance on AI-driven business solutions. Not only is this a symptom of a larger trend of AI integration sure to sweep similar companies, but a stark reminder of the competitive nature of the modern job market, where technological advancements can swiftly reshape workforce demands. While AI-driven enterprises will undoubtedly benefit consumers through greater efficiency, lower costs, and improved user experiences, it is employees who will bear the burden of growing job instability. Although the specific divisions facing staff reductions are yet to be determined, affected employees may attempt to transition into other roles within the company.

Meta

According to Bloomberg and other news sources referencing an internal memo, Meta is set to cut approximately 3,600 jobs, accounting for around 5% of its workforce. The layoffs will be performance-based, as outlined in CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s memo, where he emphasized raising standards ahead of what he described as “an intense year.” Employees in the U.S. impacted by these cuts were informed on February 10, with Meta planning to refill the positions within the year.

A common theme of competition seems to be sweeping the tech sector in the new year. To “keep ahead,” a growing number of companies are tightening performance expectations, restructuring teams, and making strategic layoffs—all to streamline operations and maintain a competitive edge in an evolving market. Salesforce and Meta are not the only companies implementing layoffs—Workday currently ranks first with significant job cuts of its own.

Workday

CEO Carl Eschenbach announced that Workday is cutting approximately 1,750 positions, equating to a whopping 8.5% of its workforce, as the company shifts focus toward AI-driven initiatives and expands its international hiring efforts. Meanwhile, Workday faces growing competition as rivals like Paychex and Automatic Data Processing strengthen their market positions through strategic acquisitions.

Competing for a job was already a challenge against fellow human applicants, but now, the workforce faces an even greater rival: AI. The surge of AI-driven layoffs across major tech giants like Salesforce, Meta, and Workday marks a pivotal shift in the job market—where automation has evolved from a distant possibility to an undeniable reality. What was once designed to enhance efficiency and support human workers now directly threatens the very livelihoods people have spent years building.