The rise of advanced artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer a distant disruption; it is reshaping the global job market. Recent layoffs at tech giants such as Oracle, Amazon and Meta point to a structural shift rather than isolated cost-cutting measures.
Oracle announced job cuts on March 31 that could affect up to 30,000 employees, nearly 18.5% of its global workforce of 162,000. The layoffs are expected to impact mid- to senior-level staff, particularly those with over a decade of experience.
The announcement comes after Oracle’s massive investments in AI infrastructure, including billions of dollars spent on data centres to handle a backlog that has surged by 359% to $455 billion. This growth is led by a deal worth over $300 billion with OpenAI. However, rising borrowing costs have put financial pressure on the company, with layoffs expected to generate savings of nearly $10 billion.
Apart from Oracle, Amazon had earlier announced plans to cut around 16,000 corporate roles, following 14,000 layoffs months earlier. Meta has also initiated another round of job cuts.
Cybersecurity expert Amit Dubey told ETV Bharat, “Across companies like Oracle, Amazon and Meta, layoffs are structural. The most vulnerable roles are mid-career, high-cost positions involving process-driven, repetitive work or those not directly aligned with AI deployment, such as support, operations, recruiting and some layers of software engineering.”
Jaspreet Bindra, co-founder of AI&Beyond, said, “Advanced AI tools are changing industries and job markets globally, including India. Tasks such as data analysis, customer service and even basic coding are being handled by AI,”
He added that sectors such as software development, where AI coding assistants are reducing the demand for entry-level programmers; customer service, where chatbots are replacing call centre jobs; and manufacturing and logistics, where AI-powered systems are taking over manual labour.
Corporate lawyer and tech entrepreneur Ajay Sharma said, “A research by Anthropic notes business, finance, legal and administrative roles as highly exposed. White-collar workers face disproportionate impact. Goldman Sachs estimates that up to 300 million jobs globally could be automated, especially in administrative support and manufacturing,” he said.
Sharma also said that knowledge-based roles are under pressure. “Microsoft has identified roles with knowledge and communication, such as interpreters, journalists and web developers, as vulnerable due to AI’s ability to summarise and process information,” he added.
However, experts say that AI is not only eliminating jobs but also transforming them. Anuj Agarwal, Chairman of the Supreme Court Cyber, Data Privacy and AI Bar Association, said, “AI is intensifying the automation of repetitive tasks and is now entering areas that previously required human intervention, such as financial analysis. In the medium term, job trends will shift, and those who can effectively integrate AI into their work will see better employability and productivity.”
Cyberlaw expert Dr. Karnnika A. Seth pointed out the limitations of AI. “Jobs that require high levels of analytical and critical thinking will not become redundant. While AI has strong cognitive capabilities, it lacks human ingenuity and originality. Routine and clerical roles are more likely to be affected,” she said.
Industry leaders also point to the rise of “agentic AI”, systems capable of independently planning and executing complex tasks. Ritwik Batabyal, CTO at Mastek, said such systems can conduct web searches, compile data and generate research reports.
Additionally, conversational AI is also replacing customer service agents, while AI-assisted programming tools are automating basic coding tasks and affecting junior developers.
Despite the disruption, experts agree that new opportunities are emerging. Sharma pointed to a growing demand for roles such as AI engineers, MLOps specialists, AI security experts and ethics professionals. At the same time, sectors that require human judgment such as healthcare, engineering and psychology, continue to see demand.
“The AI era is not just eliminating jobs; it is creating an entirely new labour market,” Sharma said. He added that adaptation is key. “Don’t compete with AI, learn to work with it.”
He said workers need to focus in learning generative AI tools and develop skills such as prompt engineering and data analysis. He also spoke about the need of strengthening human abilities like critical thinking, creativity and emotional intelligence.