Shopify and Duolingo are cutting back on human hiring in favor of AI. Shopify’s CEO mandated that managers must prove AI can’t do a job before requesting additional hires. Shortly after, Duolingo’s CEO announced plans to phase out contractors in favor of AI solutions.
Data from Revelio Labs shows a 19% decline in AI-doable tasks listed in job postings over the past three years. The bulk of this drop aligns with a decrease in job openings for roles easily handled by AI, particularly after the launch of ChatGPT in 2022.
High-exposure roles, like database administrators and IT specialists, saw a 31% decline in job offers, compared to a 25% decline in low-exposure roles. 
“In the short term, generative AI reduces overall demand for knowledge workers of all types,” researchers said in a recent study highlighting the impact on freelancers in writing-related fields.
The report indicates that Klarna, a fintech firm, previously halted human hiring due to AI efficiencies but has resumed hiring human agents, citing “lower quality” from AI.
“It’s so critical that you are clear to your customer that there will always be a human,” said CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski.
Despite some retractions, the pressure for companies to rely on AI remains strong. Siemiatkowski noted plans to further reduce his workforce by 500 through attrition, underscoring a persistent trend toward automation.
As AI technologies improve, future hiring trends in white-collar sectors remain uncertain.
