#ai

He's back baby

Verizon has not released a specific public list of the exact store locations involved in the single closure or the 179 conversions. The announcement focuses on the aggregate numbers rather than individual addresses. Reports indicate the targeted stores are likely "underperforming" or less profitable locations, but details on which ones remain undisclosed as of today. Employees at affected sites are reportedly being notified directly, and Verizon has established a $20 million career transition fund to support laid-off workers with AI-related reskilling.

https://fortune.com/2025/11/19/google-ceo-sundar-pichai-says-ai-can-do-his-job/

With companies like IBM laying off thousands —
Microsoft laid off 9,000, Amazon ousted 14,000,
Accenture about 11,000 — it might be time to
seriously consider the future of this
displacement.
We won't be holding our breath.

https://www.bgr.com/2025199/ibm-tried-replace-workforce-ai/

Anyone versed in artificial intelligence can fairly easily train AI to create power point slides, Excel spreadsheet s, create budgets, and even sit in on meeting calls take notes and parrot back to worker bees.

The real work is done by these so called "leader's" staff.

What say you; are you in agreement?

Will AI qualify as an external event is the question. If so, expect large surpluses in q1 or q2 in 2026.

If you want an idea of how well of a job AI will do, look what it did to ACSS. It took an already terrible system and managed to make it worse. The loading/buffering is unbelievable. A parent AYS ticket has been open for 3 months with no resolution. Hundreds of comments on the Impact Zone post.

what is happening with the AI factories folks? Is the AI bubble unravelling or it is only Dell which is suffering? Thankfully I am away from the AI bubble which soon I expect to turn into doom and gloom. Time to park all your AI investments (incl. NVIDIA) into money market. Sell everything!

Dan sits high in the tower of glass,
Counting figures, trimming mass.
A whisper travels down the line
“Another round… this time it’s mine.”

He speaks of progress, polished and clean,
Of AI’s future and a workforce unseen.
Two years back he warned the crowd,
“It will leave many jobless,” he said out loud.
Now here he stands, the prophecy man,
Not stopping the storm..he is the plan.

People who built the network’s frame,
Names and faces..now numbers, just the same.
Their keycards flicker, the screens go black,
But profits rise, and no one looks back

Dan calls it efficiency, a modern shift,
But to those he cuts, it’s a stolen gift..
Security, dignity, years of sweat,
All erased in a corporate reset.

And when the machines finally hum in place
Where voices once filled a bustling space,
Maybe Dan will stand alone and see
That progress without people is poverty.

For a workforce falls not loud, but quietly
In email threads, and HR calls,
While a man in a tower signs and enthralls.

History won’t ask about stock or demand,
But who remembered the hands that built the brand.
And someday, far beyond Verizon’s span,
They’ll tell the story of a man named Dan
Who knew AI would hollow the land…
And led the march of the unemployed band

(Share yours)

Published 11/17/2025, 06:56 PM

https://www.investing.com/news/swot-analysis/five9s-swot-analysis-cloud-contact-center-stock-navigates-ai-transition-93CH-4363981

https://youtu.be/8DjEN5kbIfc?si=cT0zYu5eq3X_OEhd

Say, what percentage of Verizon is currently at risk again? Snake

Does the constant begging for AI ideas, use cases, prompts, and more drove anyone else crazy?

As someone who is very proficient with AI, (through taking classes, learning it, using it, etc,) I’m not sharing my knowledge/competence/learnings with the company at large outside what is required by my position. Why should they benefit from a knowledge base I built on my own time?

Quantum is not even close to commercial viability despite what AK likes to spout.

https://www.wsj.com/tech/quantum-could-be-techs-next-big-thing-but-for-investors-its-all-about-timing-aeebc9ff

Quantum computing has made big strides in recent years, but there’s danger in getting in too early

By: Asa Fitch
Nov. 7, 2025 5:30 am ET

Quantum computing is drawing renewed attention owing to a recent advance from Google and talk of the U.S. government taking stakes in companies working on the technology. But the industry has a way to go before the rewards for investors outweigh some glaring risks.

Most U.S.-listed quantum stocks have risen sharply in recent months, including IonQ IONQ which has nearly doubled in the past six months, and D-Wave Quantum QBTS which has more than quadrupled.

That enthusiasm reflects budding interest in an industry that, like artificial intelligence, may become a crux of geopolitical competition that the U.S. seeks to dominate. But it also reflects quantum computing’s significant underlying promise.

Quantum computers make calculations differently than conventional computers. Instead of representing data with bits that can be either one or zero, quantum computers harness the quantum-mechanical properties of so-called qubits that can be a combination of the two at the same time.

That tweak allows quantum computers to juggle more possibilities at once, opening the way for solutions to problems that would take conventional computers a near eternity. A powerful quantum computer, for example, could test complex molecular combinations quickly, potentially leading to the rapid discovery of new dr-gs. Already, scientists have used quantum computers to identify materials that could make solar cells more efficient, simulate Airbus’s aircraft performance and optimize power grids.

But performance is uneven. Even today’s most advanced quantum computers for the most part don’t outperform regular computers in arenas where quantum computing should excel. That is mostly because today’s quantum computers don’t have electronic brains that are large enough and don’t fix calculation errors reliably enough.

And it has proven extremely difficult to build large and error-free quantum computers. Many of them have components that need to be cooled to near absolute zero for quantum effects to become usable. They are often physically large and delicate. International Business Machines IBM has been at it for about a decade and produces some of the most powerful quantum computers, but its most advanced system has just 156 qubits.

Analysts say quantum computers will need much larger numbers of qubits to tackle many problems ordinary computers can’t. IBM released a road map this year that lays out a path to 2,000 qubits in 2033. Google, the other Big Tech company considered a leader in the arena, has a quantum chip with 105 qubits and is aiming to hit a milestone of 1,000 qubits, although its timeline is less clear.

Google last month said its chip could make certain computations 13,000 times as fast as an ordinary computer, providing a taste of the advances that quantum computing could bring.

“Scalability is the primary question as you look from now to the next five years or the end of the decade,” said Wamsi Mohan, an analyst at Bank of America who covers the quantum computing industry. “If you can make them scalable then the usefulness of this technology really becomes quite significant.”

Who will win the scaling-up battle is far from clear. While IBM and Google have poured in money, so have their Big Tech rivals Amazon AMZN and Microsoft MSFT. One of the smaller listed quantum-computing players could also come in from below and prevail in the market. Or it could be a startup like PsiQuantum, which is building large-scale quantum computers in Australia and in Chicago, where it broke ground in September.

Quantum computing is so nascent that it isn’t even clear which basic technical approach to it will scale up best. Some companies, like IBM and Google, use materials cooled to near absolute zero. Others—including IonQ—use charged particles trapped and suspended in space. PsiQuantum uses the quantum properties of light.

For potential investors—including the Trump administration, which has denied The Wall Street Journal’s reporting late last month that it is considering taking stakes in companies including IonQ and D-Wave—there is therefore no lane for exposure to the quantum-computing phenomenon that doesn’t entail a big dose of risk. Any of today’s approaches could easily fail, just as Betamax lost out to VHS in the videotape format war decades ago. Early-stage government backing of one approach over another could also have the perverse impact of holding back the industry if the state bets on the wrong horse.

How long it will take to shake out is also uncertain. BNP Paribas analyst David O’Connor said in a recent note that quantum computing was now less of a science experiment than an engineering problem involving how to make computers bigger. That could take three or four years to work out, he estimates.

Whether that holds is hard to predict. But it seems likely that quantum computing will grow fast and generate significant returns for investors if those challenges get worked out. Mohan estimates quantum-computing revenue could reach $4.25 billion by 2030. That isn’t an incredible amount, but also nothing to laugh at: It is about what Nvidia NVDA was pulling in about a decade ago.

The question now is more one of when, not if, quantum computing becomes a technology worth investing in. And that could be a while.

Some tone deaf people are posting non stop on LinkedIn as if it’s BAU..
stfu.. you might be on the list as well.. just be quiet for sometime. I do not want to hear about your AI conferences.

"The update came just a few days after IBM disclosed similar job cuts. [...] He points to IBM as an example: the company cut 8,000 HR and admin positions while hiring engineers and salespeople. “That tells you where they think value lives now. Routine work gets automated. Complex work stays human.”" https://nearshoreamericas.com/u-s-layoffs-surge-and-blaming-ai-is-part-of-the-smokescreen/

As a H1b employee I constantly see some posts blaming H1b as cheap labour to replace US work force, I would say it is totally wrong.

1. TI almost exclusively hire non US ncg only if the personnel has a PhD degree recent years. For someone who is not familiar with the H1b process, it is a lottery which has a winning rate of less than 40% and any ncg who does not win H1b in 3 years have to leave USA unless they can proof that they have extraordinary ability to be qualified for O1 visa. A NCG with masters degree but no publications will definitely not be qualified for O1 if they are not lucky enough to be selected in H1b lottery (and PhD is likely to qualify), which make it risky.
2. Everyone who has searched internal openings on myhrtools would notice that every posting is showing immigration eligibility. Only job postings at Kilby/ATD/Some BU are eligible for immigration. There would be NO H1b in fab technicians, and only very limited H1b in fab engineers (as far as I know only PIs, not even for PEs). Mass layoffs in fab environment is nothing to do with H1b since none of the jobs there are "replaced" by H1b. BU H1bs got hit hard in September, suggesting layoff is there no matter whether you are a US personnel.
3. It is MUCH MORE DIFFICULT for a non US ncg to get a job compared to US personnels. Considering current political situations, no employers want to hire someone who costs more to maintain immigration status and are risky to be influenced by immigration policies. If the candidates are equally qualified, 95% the hire will be the US personnel. As said before, openings that are eligible for immigration are all high level positions from Kilby/ATD/Some Bu, etc. The qualification standard is high and most likely it is for MS/PhD only. There is only one reason that TI still hire opt students which will eventually change to H1b, that is international PhD graduates are usually more qualified for the jobs that are eligible for immigration.
4. US has 700 to 800k H1bs in total, which is ways smaller than the tech industry employee count. They are making up only a small portion, and every major company hiring H1b will have a much higher standard on them. They are subject to political environment change and job market change as numerous companies including Walmart stop hiring H1b starting this year. In TI, new H1bs are even not eligible for a fab engineer job. They have a much smaller job pool compared to US personnels and they are much vulnerable towards layoffs.

So stop blaming H1b in the company. Tariff and economy, development of AI, the upper management... There are far more to do with the layoff.

I went in for an oil change at a Quick Lane last week and received an AI text from "Will" at the front desk. I was offered $11,500 for my 2020 Edge with 55K miles; go pound sand. Ford doesnt have a vehicle in their offering I would buy.
No way am I selling it so Ford can resell it on Amazon.

Just a heads-up, Compucom did another mass layoff last week. The company is massively struggling as they cant seem to get stable against competors who want to win their contracts. With their AI claims not actually coming to fruition (nothing is active) and their FLO charting system just being PowerBi reskinned... Basically all of last year was a bust, everything they have and their endeavors are all smoke and the leadership can't figure out how to right the ship with India teams as their main provider at this point while they retired while employed. Maybe next year.

Big trouble for Dell right now as the AI oasis is an actual mirage. Severe cost cutting is about to happen with massive layoffs about to hit.

As someone who has 8 lines with Verizon and I am sure a lot of employees are the same I expect Q4 2025 and Q1 2026 to be impacted by the laid off employees taking thier service somewhere else.

Don't worry though, Dan the hatchet man 🪓 and his PayPal minions got all of that figured with the impressive AI models that Dan exclusively seen and tested 😏

how many times will LC say AI. Drinking game!

AI Fleet said the layoffs were triggered by an 'unforeseeable' business disruption that left it unable to give the 60 days’ notice typically required under federal law.

https://www.statesman.com/business/article/ai-fleet-trucking-layoffs-austin-technology-21184715.php

what does CSCO have <2B??? I kind of feel sorry for CR and the gang.

https://www.fool.com/investing/2025/11/17/jensen-huang-just-delivered-incredible-news-for-nv/

It's frustrating when the leaders responsible for AI implementation are completely out of touch. The folks actually building the solutions are not the ones attending major industry AI events.

Instead, we get VPs and CDOs who secured their positions through politics, not expertise. They talk big about "AI models" and use all the buzzwords in meetings, but have zero technical background and have never written a line of AI code.

The gap between leadership talk and ground-level reality is HUGE. This is why we struggle to innovate. Stop promoting boot-lickers and start promoting builders! Reduce slide preparations and do actual work.

If Dan really wants AI to transform, remove all top level execs from AI&D/EDAI team and replace with real folks who has some background in this space. Otherwise, this will remain as myth.

AI bubble deflating

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/peter-thiel-dumps-top-ai-143300737.html

Does any of you perceive AI as bubble like SDN or is it going to stay for ever. I am not sure if cognitive alogrithms break AI patterns create more confusion for the future to adapt. If not, AI is not real AI.

Affirm's CEO is -

Naive.

Automation.

RPA - Robotic Process Automation (will continue) to replace entry-level white-collar jobs

RPA has (always) been a (Large) part of (Global) manufacturing.

AI robots (will continue) to replace employees in manufacturing as it grows.

The Unemployment rate (will rise) over time because of it, it should show even more so; over the next several years.

The Trump thesis is (Totally Wrong) for bringing back manufacturing to the U.S. (employee-wise).

Remember, AI does (not) pay Tax revenue; employees do.

Reference the exponentially rising U.S. National debt of $38.2 Trillion a year (current) in which U.S. taxpayers pay $969 Billion in Interest (almost a Trillion a year) to outside Investors (U.S. based, Japan, China; etc.) per usdebtclock.

there is 15% cuts coming for feb for gp2025, promise due AI efficency. list is being prepared/finalized now...followed by more coming as part of WP closure

The recent round of Amazon corporate layoffs isn’t a sign of an imminent AI apocalypse. It's an expression of the company's brutal corporate culture, enabled by its use of the H-1B visa program.

https://jacobin.com/2025/11/amazon-layoffs-artificial-intelligence-h-1b-visa

I am an enterprise architect that has been tasked with implementing AI from design to implementation. We have been very busy for the past two years, from governance, safety and control rack, and stack. Yes, AI is very impressive, and does bring a lot to the table for immediate impact on workflows, data science and automation. With that All being said AI still needs human in the loop, I don’t care how much we can build the guard rails, hallucinations are still a plague for us. But I will tell you that Google is very active and their consultant services, about what they are learning from Gemini. Every day employees use Gemini, but all you’re doing is training a system. I know they have that little disclaimer at the bottom that they are not using any Verizon data to train, but they are. They just use different words for it. This has been in the works for a while, and will be used as future metric data, for future cuts. I will tell you that this downsizing that’s coming is not because of AI, it’s not mature enough inside of Verizon. These cuts are trying to curve the bleeding that our past leadership has left us in. They are going to sting, but won’t be part of a overall strategy. Yes they will announce some flashy, news attention seeking moves this week. But nothing truly about the honest direction where we’re about to go. Do you think it was just by chance that our new CEO mentioned perplexity in his first? conversation? He has a very big stake in perplexity.

I love it. Saw this on another board for PWC layoffs. (Price Waterhouse..one of the big 4 accountiing firms) I Googled this:
Client Demands and PwC's Response
Demand for Discounts: As PwC has publicly touted its significant AI investments and the resulting efficiency gains (e.g., in audit and tax processes), clients have started requesting price cuts. Clients argue they are entitled to a portion of the benefits when AI tools complete work faster.

As interfaces move to AI platforms, I was trying to figure out which market data providers have the most proprietary value. I think this may be part of the challenge they are facing.

MSCI = Benchmark/risk models
LSEG = Exchange, RT
S&P = Ratings, Benchmark
Moodys = ratings
Morningtar = stars
BBG = FI content
FactSet = cusip

Besides cusip, is there a proprietary data/analytics set that Factset provides in this new world.

So much for jobs coming back to the US. Mid and entry level jobs are disappearing by the tens of thousands and the trend is accelerating thanks to enhanced AI and its adoption across the jobs universe. Finance, law, entertainment are all in its crosshairs and the only people benefitting are those who can afford to play in the stock market. It’s time to rethink what’s happening around us.

The transformation of Verizon under CEO Dan Schulman, driven by AI, to mirror the goals of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)—to achieve a radical reduction in operating friction and an aggressive overhaul of the cost structure—but focused on customers and internal processes rather than stove piped, bureaucracy.

Schulman has explicitly stated his plan is to "aggressively transform our culture, our cost structure and the financial profile" to make the company "simpler, leaner, and scrappier," using AI as the central engine for this change.

AI-driven transformation, analogous to a DOGE-style overhaul at Verizon:

AI as the "DOGE" for Verizon: Two Core Pillars
The transformation centers on AI simultaneously improving the customer experience (to drive retention) and automating operations (to slash costs).

1. Eliminating Customer "Bureaucracy" (The CX Overhaul)
   The goal is to use AI to dismantle the complexity and friction that causes customers to leave (churn).

Hyper-Personalized Offerings:

The Change: Instead of navigating complex plans and bundles, Generative AI analyzes each customer's real-time usage (data, call, streaming), device ecosystem, and loyalty history to instantly suggest the single best, most cost-effective plan for them. This simplifies the shopping process and eliminates the customer suspicion of being overcharged.

The DOGE Parallel: This eliminates "wasteful" time and frustration for the customer, much like streamlining a government form.

Proactive and Instant Customer Service:

The Change: AI-powered churn prediction models identify customers who are highly likely to have an issue or switch carriers before they even call. AI then triggers a proactive intervention, such as adjusting network capacity in their area, automatically applying a loyalty discount, or sending a personalized text to check in.

The DOGE Parallel: This is a shift from reactive management (only fixing problems after a complaint/crisis) to proactive, preventative problem-solving, eliminating the need for expensive, high-touch support calls.

Intelligent Agent Routing and Support:

The Change: When a customer does call, AI uses a "Fast Pass" or similar system to instantly categorize the caller's need (e.g., "international billing issue," "Fios speed problem") and route them to the exact human expert trained in that niche, cutting down transfer times and repeat explanations.

The DOGE Parallel: Maximizing the productivity of the human workforce by ensuring they only handle the most complex cases, eliminating time wasted on simple tasks.

1. Aggressively Restructuring the Expense Base (The Cost Transformation)
   AI will be deployed internally to achieve the "simpler, leaner" operations Schulman has promised, translating directly into major job role changes and cost cuts.

Automation of Back-Office Functions:

The Change: Intelligent automation takes over large-scale, repetitive tasks in billing, supply chain, and contract management. This results in significant staff reductions (layoffs) in administrative and support roles, a key part of the "scrappier" business model.

The DOGE Parallel: This is the direct application of "cutting wasteful expenditures" and "downsizing the federal workforce" by replacing manual labor with efficient software.

Network Optimization and Predictive Maintenance:

The Change: Machine Learning (ML) models continuously analyze network performance data to predict equipment failures, automatically adjust power consumption across cell sites, and optimize technician dispatch routes. The network essentially becomes self-healing and energy-efficient.

The DOGE Parallel: Modernizing technology and software to "maximize governmental efficiency and productivity," saving billions in maintenance and energy costs.

Precision Capital Allocation:

The Change: Data science and AI are used to determine precisely where capital should be invested (e.g., which specific neighborhoods need a 5G Ultra Wideband upgrade versus which areas can rely on existing infrastructure) to maximize subscriber growth and revenue return, rather than blanket spending.

The DOGE Parallel: Ensuring that every dollar is spent wisely and effectively to achieve strategic goals, much like a government audit of taxpayer funds.

The overall goal is a tectonic shift in Verizon's identity: from a company primarily defined by its physical network build-out to a digital-first, data-driven organization where AI dictates every interaction, promotion, and operational expense.

Notice how after a layoff, the Lumen higher ups like to post about the "wonderful awards" they seem to garner from this group or that group, and directors like to post about "brain storming" sessions with subordinates that they are working on things like AI and NAAS, but not addressing the real elephant in the room regarding declining revenues on the services that are still paying the bills? "look at this shiny thing over her, while we run Lumen into the ground" Kate and Kye are truly lost, it's no wonder why they jump from company to company, and bring all their friends with them.

Another Verizon setback is on the horizon. Cuts are being made without collaboration with leadership that is directly involved in the work. Not the slightest idea of who does what and their job function. Dan starts his vision by taking 10 steps back, and it will take many years to get back to where we are at the moment. While AI is the future, it often produces inaccurate results and information that is not even relevant to the data sets it has been instructed to review, summarize, and recommend. Can't wait to witness the lawsuits and chaos it produces.Well deserved to the leadership that is blind to the way systems and technologies are currently working!

Adobe has chosen not to give an FSA lump sum at the start of 2026. Something they've done since I started in 2011. Rather, they are going to spread it out over January to October. That significant change, among many other things I'm seeing around AI, suggests to me that they are aligning corp expenditures around planned mass layoffs at some point in 2026.

If your job can be done from home then it can be replaced by either AI or offshoring. I’m sorry, I’m not trying to be mean but blue collar is all that will be left in the near future.

when half the population is jobless because of AI, who is going to buy the products that the company needs to pay out the $80 MILLION a year that the executive board has been getting paid?

“In 2025, Verizon launched an innovative upgrade to its customer service program. Deriving its name from its June 24 launch date, Project 624 is only the first step in Verizon’s ambitions of being “the best applied AI company in the world.” The new product utilizes AI-driven tools to enhance the services provided by human agents, significantly upgrading the telecom giant’s customer experience platform and freeing up agents’ time significantly.”

Link:
https://www.bcg.com/publications/2025/driving-growth-innovation-leading-telco?fbclid=IwZnRzaAOFQj1leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5CGNhbGxzaXRlAjI1AAEerLAVPW9q5eP8p9m1WxxdwDETCbPZ7W2aPMXdKgGm30Sv_0fhZNjv6QzaNAc_aem_NdzCqx7G2lXzCBabvBgtpg