Heavy AI focus, there will be no more SL and similar other roles (IYKYK).
All product areas to be aligned to ONE location, no more distributed teams.
You'll be eliminated if your location isn't same as your direct manager or chapter lead.
If they already haven't moved you under new manager, your fate is sealed.
AI has become a profession more professional than medical doctors and lawyers. True AI talents working in Google, OpenAI and Meta draws million dollar salary.
The kind of AI practiced at Fidelity is not quite the professional AI. It's the difference between those who "ask chatGPT" and those who "build chatGPT". An AWS GenAI training course can only teach you how to "ask chatGPT", you're still ignorant of how to build Fidelity's chatGPT like LLM.
So I don't see many AI professionals in Fidelity, mostly AI pretenders.
Works in one of Fidelity's AI COE (Center of Excellence) and the majority of the data scientists don't know AI. Unrelated bachelor degree + one year bootcamp in a local university is not enough education to train an data scientist, and we have tons of those.
Getting rid of AI squad leaders? Looking around the chapter leaders in the AI space, any of them know AI? You expect Java , Python developers to know how to build the infrastructure to build reasoning LLM models? You expect them to read and understand the mathematical formulas in DeepSeek's paper and reproduce their work with Fidelity data? You must be kidding!
Any data to back that up? Why would AI influence the entire team's move to one location? Are there overlaps that need to be fixed?
Because of the hype around and folks' ignorance about AI, the domain is ripe for Business Model Evolution (BME, a.k.a, cut the fat). Too many superfluous "AI This" and "AI That" roles around. It's amusing to watch these dead weights angling for a recently vacated higher position in AI while at the same time worrying about their own fates. So, let the AI BME come, swifter and stronger!
I don't even think most of this is deliberate. The sky isn't falling out in ABQ and SLC, the teams are just being jumbled around seeing who is senior enough to handle managerial positions and hiring/onboarding. Lots of on the spot movement because of it. More growth ahead but it is causing a mess at some of these locations organizationally.
This comment is a GENERAL comment.
Take note and apply it to any employer in times like these.
Rule me by fear, HA so over that!
And remember, just because I SAY I want something doesn’t mean I do!
I’ll never share my true plans or ambitions as doing so could put others in position to interfere.
So keep guessing about me!
Keep dangling that rotten carrot in front of me so I work harder than ever while you work on exit plans!
Your mind was made up and your targets were picked long ago.
Working harder won’t save me, but it will benefit you.
And now, it’s MY turn to decide if I want to fire you, (insert company name here).
Are you worthy of my talents?
Have you treated me fairly across the board?
Shall I cut and run after peeking and seeing you’re cards?
Or is this all just a bluff?
What an interesting predicament we have here.
Do you need me more than I need you at the moment, probably.
But you’ll never admit it.
And then you’ll dangle the carrot for another fool with a big ego and something to prove.
If I were to look back in 25 years, what advice would I give myself?
Jobs come, jobs go but big picture, You’ll be ok.
Play by their rules, bide your time, and have as much as you can doing it.
Never, ever, don’t you dare, let them see you mad, angry or upset!
Push the limits but don’t cross the line!
Double entendres ARE your friend in this situation!
Hang up a funny picture or write up some embarrassing nicknames for people and hang it behind your monitor.
It will make you laugh and they’ll wonder why you’re smiling!
Show them the mirror, no one likes that!
You’ll survive AND save your dignity.
Give them a nice view and SHAKE IT as you walk away!
lololololol
AI needs focused scrutiny on the extravagant spends, the sprawl white goose chases, the duplications across BUs. Mostly importantly the unprofessionals who don't have the trainings to do AI.
“ Heavy AI focus” bullcorn. 90% of tech leadership at this company cant even write a for loop. Stop fear mongering you dolt.
Nonsense
While I do agree this is fidelitys long term desire, I feel like this is highly unrealistic for fall. Almost every team that I know is distributed between at least 2 time zones, there is no way fidelity will consolidate or rehire that quickly without having decent support.