Thread regarding IBM layoffs

AI

Does the management really think they can replace 8k employees with ChatGPT or whatever other AI? I think they're in for a rude awakening. Those who have been using it know already that it has many, many limitations that can't be overcome as easily as many hope/expect. I'll enjoy watching the disaster unravel, though.

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Post ID: @OP+1muApQH4

18 replies (most recent on top)

IBM's AI is the clear leader.... https://newsroom.ibm.com/2023-05-02-SAP-to-Embed-IBM-Watson-Artificial-Intelligence-into-SAP-R-Solutions

Also, https://news.sap.com/2023/05/sap-google-cloud-expanded-partnership-open-data-ai-enterprises/

WHAT? I thought that we were friends!?!?

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Post ID: @5ikc+1muApQH4

The take away from this thread is “if you don’t touch a revenue producing customer, you will be replaced with automation” IBM doesn’t care if the AI works or not, they will declare success and simply pile the work onto the remaining folks who have not been replaced. Please note IBM acknowledges 26k worth of back office employees (approx 10% of the work force). What IBM doesn’t acknowledge, but certainly knows they exist, is another 26k worth of management/spreadsheet jockeys who never touch revenue producing customers. So take AK’s own words of 30% reduction over the next 5 years. He has modified that prediction in less than a week and upped the percentage to 50%. You can do the math 52k worth of heads getting cut by 50%. The current timing according to AK is over 5 years, but the consultants that IBM has hired have suggested 18 months. The obvious result here is 26k worth of employees will be asked to leave due to automation over the next 18 months (call it RA’s) This does not reflect the PIP utilization goal of 70%being factored in. That most likely will result in another 26k being asked to leave over the 18 month window, due to performance. IBM absolutely has to get their costs under control, and they don’t have another play. It’s all about cost reduction with as minimum an impact on revenue as possible. All of the low hanging fruit has been picked (outsourced) and they now are moving up to the mid level hanging fruit. (automation and utilization)

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Post ID: @5zdi+1muApQH4

Wow. The IBM HR AI-bot sure disapproved of THIS thread.

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Post ID: @4ycb+1muApQH4

Watson is awful and won’t be able to work in the big blue machine. This will be an epic fail. And clients like talking to humans so good luck with that

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Post ID: @3ehg+1muApQH4

Ah. Read the G00G leaked article - IBM can catch up pretty quick. Well, beholden to FaceCrook but still.

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Post ID: @3qlx+1muApQH4

The world is going to lose one very important aspect about interacting with people - the human personal touch. My observation is this is disappearing anyway even with call center people. In general working with customer service these days is like working with a robot and anything out of the ordinary takes many phone calls and follow-ups initiated by the consumer.

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Post ID: @2cwx+1muApQH4

The easiest job for AI to replace is CEO.

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Post ID: @2jhn+1muApQH4

Just a marketing stunt to have media bring up IBM as related to AI. IBM is irrelevant in AI and smart medias have already caught on to ibm play. Ibm lost innovation capability to be relevant. Btw, that 8k job replacement is a BS. IBM lays off more than that as a BAU.

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Post ID: @1rin+1muApQH4

IBM already tried and failed in AI with its Watson Health disaster. It was all marketing blurb and zero substance. They fooled some customer into buying it and then sold it because it doesn't work.

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Post ID: @1gys+1muApQH4

IBM suffers the same problems that plague the rest of the US economy...inbreeding. AK may be an id--t, but he certainly isn't the only one. When IBM's entire management class came from the same schools, say the same things and employ the same management practices, it's not a big stretch to think about replacing everybody with a single machine.

This applies to the rank and file as well. How many employees does IBM really need to produce the output it is producing? Does IBM really need 300K employees?

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Post ID: @1fza+1muApQH4

AK is a parrot, doesn't know AI or datacenters technology, just repeats what others have said. His latest AI B.S. comes from Ginny's old "moonshots" nonsense - shows how AK is worse than Ginny if he has to take Ginny's old failed "moonshots"! Read:

"Rometty also mentioned that since IBM has implemented AI more widely, it has been able to reduce the size of its global human resources department by 30 percent."

From:

https://hub.packtpub.com/ibm-ceo-ginni-rometty-on-bringing-hr-evolution-with-ai-and-its-predictive-attrition-ai/

See how bad is IBM's future if AK has nothing new other than relying on Ginny's "big innovations" and her failed strategy?

Horrible.

And AK gives advice on careers ź don't work remotely if you want promotions in your career, or talk about HR, or AI. What are AK credentials technically? Unbelievable how the BoD selected this dude for CEO obviously with Ginny's influence - her last big failure.

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Post ID: @1nas+1muApQH4

This is what’s driving these statements. Consulting is rapidly approaching being a commodity. Something IBM does not compete well at. IBM’s only chance at competing when labor becomes a commodity is automation. Giving it lip service “may” slow the bleed to IBM, but everyone including IBM’s customers are being pitched by the commodity suppliers. IBM’s extraordinary high overhead is the anchor forcing these restructurings. Until upper management addresses the high overhead costs, (middle management being the big one) the bleeding will continue. IBM’s upper management (except for Gerstner) has never been able to ID or address the high overhead. It’s IBM’s completely inward looking focus (some call it arrogance) that causes them pain. Wonder why Redhat’s CEO departed IBM. He couldn’t or wouldn’t focus inward and as such the legacy management team would not support him.

https://www.theregister.com/2023/05/05/hcl_infosys_tcs_wipro_results/

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Post ID: @1yax+1muApQH4

It's called "misdirection." It shifts the conversation and narrative to the evils of AI, rather than the evils of IBM and Arvid. Gee, look how clever they are? And they almost outsmarted us too!

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Post ID: @1chx+1muApQH4

It's just an excuse to cut 8000 more that's all. Are you going to check AK if indeed he has installed AI to replace the jobs of 8000 RAed? Nope. It's an excuse as AK has to keep cutting otherwise earnings will keep diving. He's has nothing to function as a person with what AI? Watson leftovers? Laughable.
This is taken from Ginny's speech at HR conferences saying Watson can save 30% of HR work and replace people. Look it up.

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Post ID: @qjt+1muApQH4

It’s just a sales ploy to make customers believe IBM has great AI. The layoffs will happen normally, but IBM AI will get the credit. So transparent, AK!!!

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Post ID: @rbo+1muApQH4

CGPT just spits out word salad that sounds impressive to only the most simple minded.

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Post ID: @axg+1muApQH4

Spent 30 hours working with CGPT last weened - it has major holes, it'll not be as big of an impact as many think

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Post ID: @kdf+1muApQH4

They don't care. Executives don't use help lines, they make some poor underling deal with their problems. So when something doesn't effect them directly it simply doesn't exist.

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Post ID: @jsn+1muApQH4

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