Although the US unemployment rate held steady at 4.2% in May with 139,000 jobs added to the US workforce, nearly 100,000 layoffs were also announced — up 47% from last year, according to new data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics and others. Tech and federal cuts led the way in layoffs, driven by economic pressure, programmatic firings and AI-driven shifts in workforce needs, according to outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

Technology remains a top sector for cuts amid ongoing disruptions, according to the firm’s data. In May, tech companies announced 10,598 layoffs, bringing the 2025 total to 74,716; that’s up 35% from 55,207 at the same time last year.

“Tariffs, funding cuts, consumer spending, and overall economic pessimism are putting intense pressure on companies’ workforces. Companies are spending less, slowing hiring, and sending layoff notices,” Andrew Challenger, senior vice president of Challenger, Gray & Christmas, said in a statement.

Uneasiness continues to weigh on tech hiring, according to CompTIA, a provider of IT training and certification products. The unemployment rate for tech jobs in May was 3.4%, roughly in line with April’s 3.5%, CompTIA data showed. The tech unemployment rate continues to sit below the national rate.

CompTIA

Tech sector companies added a modest 1,571 net new employees in May, analysis of the BLS jobs report by CompTIA showed. Job growth in cloud infrastructure and tech services was offset by reductions in the telecommunications sector.

Tech employment across the broader economy declined by an estimated 131,000 positions. “With prior month employment gains, tech occupation employment remains in the positive for the year,” CompTIA said.

“It is undoubtedly a challenging time for employers and job seekers facing uncertainty on multiple fronts,” said Tim Herbert, CompTIA’s chief research officer. “At the same time, it requires taking a measured approach given the data continues to hold up reasonably well.”

One bright spot for tech hires in May was the finance and insurance industry, which collectively saw a 21% increase in new tech job postings; new tech job openings also rose by 16% in the retail sector, according to CompTIA.

Even so, tech layoffs have continued as AI adoption soars and economic pressures drive a major shift toward new roles and skills in the workforce. “AI isn’t replacing jobs,” said Kye Mitchell, president of tech workforce staffing firm Experis US. “It’s fundamentally redefining how work gets done. We’re seeing AI augment skillsets and make professionals more capable, faster, and able to focus on higher-value work.”

Technology only displaces jobs when about 80% of tasks can be automated — and AI isn’t close to doing that, said Mitchell. Right now, AI is enhancing skills, boosting productivity, and freeing up time for higher-value work.

Hiring for AI positions and those requiring AI skills continues to grow rapidly, according to a CompTIA analysis of data from Lightcast and Stanford University study. CompTIA found that employer job postings related to AI are up 117% year-to-date year-over-year.

Challenger, Gray & Christmas

Skills-based hiring remains core to many employers’ recruiting strategies. About half of all tech job postings did not specify a need for a four-year academic degree, seeking instead a combination of work experience, training and industry-recognized certification, according to CompTIA’s and other data.

Even so, employers are hesitant to hire. “Economic uncertainty is absolutely creating a cautious hiring environment, but it’s more complex than tariffs alone,” Mitchell said. “Our data shows employers adopting a ‘wait and watch’ stance as they monitor economic signals, with job openings down 11% year-over-year.”

Still, the tech job market is adjusting as AI adoption grows. AI skill mentions in job postings fell 10% in May but are still up 10% for the year, showing steady demand, Mitchell said.

The tech industry had been nearly bullet-proof from mass layoffs prior to 2022. After a hiring surge between 2020 and 2022 to meet digitization efforts as more people worked from home, the market shifted and began slashing jobs to readjust to the new reality.

Tech companies such Google, Amazon, Meta (Facebook) and others laid off tens of thousands of workers  as an adjustment to over-hiring during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2023 alone, 1,186 tech companies laid off about 262,682 staff, compared to 164,969 layoffs in 2022.

In January 2024, job cuts leaped 136% over December and hit a 10-month high, according to Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

While the labor market remained steady, there are signs that hiring across the board is softening. Open job postings fell 7% this year and new postings dropped 16% in the past month — the first full contraction of 2025. Year-to-date, new postings are flat compared to last year, according to Ger Doyle, ManpowerGroup’s regional president for North America. Doyle, however, was optimistic.

“This is a chill, not a freeze,” he said. “Workers and employers are holding steady, awaiting clarity.”

For example, he said, project management roles are up 483% year-over-year, and as the broader outlook improves, a rebound could follow, he added.

 Demand for data roles is surging as companies shift from AI experiments to execution. Database architect postings are up 2,140% year-over-year, with data scientist postings up 280% — clear signs of companies building the backbone for an AI-driven future, Experis’s data showed.

“This shift is also reshaping how talent enters the industry. Entry-level opportunities are becoming more limited, making it harder for recent graduates to gain a foothold,” Mitchell said. “For those looking to break in, deep analytical and technical skills are no longer optional.”

Source:: Computer World

To get some sense of the speed with which we’re hurtling into dystopia, it’s always worth taking a look at Apple’s latest Transparency Report; it shows the extent to which governments are requesting information about people, the ways in which they seek it, and the scale at which the requests are made.

The report itself is a little inexact — this particular edition has been updated with information covering January-June 2024, meaning we have no insight into data requests across the last 12 months.  There are also limits to what Apple can say. The company isn’t always permitted to be completely transparent in the information it shares about these requests, and in some territories it might no longer be permitted to decline some data requests.

The report has some concerning insights about the UK, where the government has decided people shouldn’t even be made aware of the extent to which it uses digital devices for state surveillance. 

Which nation makes the most requests per head?

Ignorance is bliss, I suppose — but US politicians are not at all happy with the UK approach. That’s not surprising when you consider that on first glance, at least, the UK as a nation makes far more requests per head of population than most other countries.

This indicates the extent to which the nation, already insisting on deeply unsafe backdoors into personal data, is using technology to monitor people.

Returning to the Transparency Report, Apple shares information concerning several categories of data request:

Device Requests

Financial Identifiers

Account

Account Preservation

Account Restriction/Deletion

Push Token

Emergency

US National Security

US Private Party

Digital Content Provider Requests

App Removal

The US continues to lead the world in the sheer number of such requests made. 

No other nation, not even China, makes anything like as many. You can see for yourself, but China (population 1.4 billion) made 1,212 device requests, 465 financial identifier requests and 398 account requests (and one emergency request) in the reporting period, while the US (with 340 million residents) made 12,043 device requests, 1,341 financial identifier requests, 12,812 account, and 793 emergency requests.

The UK (population 68 million) made 2,925 device requests, 138 financial identifier requests, 2,550 account, and 726 emergency requests. By those numbers, the UK makes more requests per head. 

Fun with numbers

Except, that isn’t quite true; while China made just 1,212 device requests, it specified 365,980 devices within those requests — and Apple complied with 96% of the requests.

In the UK, those 2,925 device requests specified 8,211 devices, and Apple complied 78% of the time. In the US, 42,747 devices were specified and 86% of those requests were met. 

Fun with numbers aside, it’s pretty clear that all three nations are united by their zeal to access this kind of information, more so than anyone else, except possibly Brazil. (Brazil, with a population of 211 million, made 8,776 device requests and specified 42,276 devices in those requests, to which Apple complied 78% of the time.)

Looking through the data, on the basis of the number of requests made per unit of population, the UK has the dubious distinction of being the most invasive government in the world.

Though it is important to note that Apple exists under different legislation in each nation, which means it may not be able to report some of the information it has — we just don’t know whether that is the case.

Top of the spooks

There are other highlights. The data shows a surge in US (and global) requests for Push Token data. This is data that can identify which device receives a specific notification from an app and can sometimes help access message content. The report reveals that requests for this kind of data have surged, but indicates Apple is approving fewer of them. Another trend seems to be an increase in requests for financial identifiers, which generally seek information concerning fraudulent transactions. Taiwan is the world champion in making such requests and Apple complies with 97% of those. The US, Japan, and Germany are also high in the list. 

Account requests are also increasing fast and in this category the UK is up there with Germany, Japan, China, and Brazil, with the US accounting for over half of all such requests worldwide. Data requests made in the cause of US national security have also increased. 

Transparency, where possible

Finally, while all this information is interesting, it really has to be read with a pinch of salt, since in at least some of these cases the information Apple is permitted to report may, or may not, enable it to be completely transparent with the information it shares. 

All the same, the implication is that data privacy continues to be something that must be fought for. “This is surveillance,” as Apple CEO Tim Cook told European privacy commissioners in 2018. Seven years later, of course, Europe is insisting Apple make your data more easily available to third-party firms. George Orwell’s book 1984 was, it seems, an instruction manual after all.

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Source:: Computer World

By Hisan Kidwai Marvel Strike Force is a super-popular turn-based RPG where players collect their favorite superheroes to save…
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By Deepti Pathak Internet slang changes fast, and sometimes you’ll see something in a message or a post that…
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When it comes to Apple, all eyes are on AI. Generative AI (genAI) is the most disruptive technology we’ve seen in years; it is weaving itself into all parts of life – so why should IT management be left unscathed? It won’t be, and the latest AI-powered IT management features within the Jamf platform will soon be the kind of tools IT expects.

Jamf is a leading Apple-in-the-enterprise device management (and security vendor recently began offering enterprise support for Android devices). The company has been working away on AI features to support its solutions for some time, and has at last introduced some of these at its Jamf Nation Live event. The tools are designed to boost efficiency and support better decision-making when it comes to handling your fleets.

Of course, you’d expect anyone fielding genAI solutions to say something like that, so what do these tools do?

Introducing Jamf AI Assistant

Available as a beta, AI Assistant is designed to support tech support! That means it will help IT admins find what they need and help them understand how and why devices they do find are configured. Jamf splits these two paths into two categories: Search skill and Explain skill.

Search skill lets admins perform natural language inventory queries across their managed fleets, enabling them to quickly find devices within their flotilla that meet the search parameters. The goal is to make it quicker and easier to audit managed devices for compliance, and to troubleshoot when things go wrong.

Explain skill caters to another facet of an IT admin’s daily challenges. As Jamf explains, it means the genAI can translate complex configurations and policies into clear, easy-to-understand language. This helps admins make informed decisions, streamline troubleshooting and manage policies more confidently, says Jamf.

While these new Jamf tools don’t automate much of the workload facing IT, it’s not hard to see how once the AI can understand what’s happening on a Mac and identify those devices that meet a set of parameters, the only missing piece is to automate some of the workflow in between.

This, of course, is the direction of travel and will likely ripple across IT and every platform. Who knows, it might even make the cost of supporting Windows fleets almost as affordable as that of managing fleets of Apple devices. (Though I doubt it.)

Beyond AI

Jamf also made a handful of announcements outside of AI, including the general availability of Blueprints, a set of tools the company announced at JNUC last year. Blueprints builds on Apple’s Declarative Device Management framework and is designed to simplify and accelerate device configuration by consolidating policies, profiles and restrictions into a single, unified workflow.

This makes a lot of sense on a road map to further AI deployment, as well as for anyone attempting to manage and deploy large Apple fleets. I imagine admins preparing for mammoth college- or school-wide deployments will have some optimism that Blueprints could help save time. Don’t neglect that education tech is expected to deploy thousands of devices in a few weeks, so these tools should be significant to them.

Jamf continues working on Blueprints, and has introduced a beta release of Configuration Profiles within Blueprints. This tech consists of a new dynamic framework designed to help teams manage devices at scale, thanks to the new dynamic framework for MDM key delivery.

Ticket to ride

Jamf has offered a Self Service+ portal since earlier this year. Aimed at end-users, the system lets users request, download and update apps, as well as monitor their device security. Those features have been expanded with identity management tools, so users can view their accounts change passwords, and request things like temporary admin access.

The beauty of Self Service+ is that it enables users to do these things autonomously while keeping their devices fully auditable and compliant. The idea is that it’s a lot better to focus the expensive tech support teams on the big problems, rather than seeing them bogged down in small, transient (albeit important), challenges. 

The company also introduced Compliance Benchmarks. Based on Apple’s macOS Security Compliance Project (mSCP), this system helps IT automate the process of securing their Apple devices.

Jamf has also added malware detection to its App Installers module, which means every application made available through that system is scanned to maintain security confidence. That’s really important to companies attempting to provision apps to employees, particularly if they want to avoid accidental installs of hacked malware posing as the original app.

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Source:: Computer World

By Siôn Geschwindt Two satellite heavyweights are about to form a European rival to Starlink. But they’ll face an uphill battle to compete with Elon Musk’s firm. Luxembourg-based SES’ proposed $3.1bn takeover of Intelsat is set to get the green light from EU officials, Reuters reports. A final verdict is expected by June 10.   SES first announced plans to acquire Luxembourgish-American rival Intelsat in April 2024, calling it a “transformational merger” that could reshape the satellite internet market. The merged company would have a fleet of more than 100 geostationary and 26 medium Earth orbit satellites. Intelsat would contribute 75 of those probes,…This story continues at The Next Web

Source:: The Next Web

The UK government wants businesses to stop thinking of AI adoption as a tech challenge and start treating it as a people problem. In its latest push for adopting responsible generative AI, it has introduced a voluntary framework urging enterprises to look beyond code and focus on culture, behavior, and day-to-day human decisions.

At the core of this approach are two practical tools — “The People Factor” and “Mitigating Hidden AI Risks”— that are designed to help organizations tackle issues often buried under the hype — overconfidence in automation, eroded human judgment, and silent resistance from users. These risks, the government said, are just as dangerous as biased models or hallucinating chatbots.

Structured around an Adopt, Sustain, Optimize(ASO) model, the guidance shifts emphasis from regulation, such as the EU’s AI Act, to readiness, internal governance, and real-world usability. It’s aimed at CIOs, digital leaders, and governance heads tasked with scaling AI without losing sight of human oversight.

While the framework is technically non-binding, it doesn’t feel optional, and complements the AI Playbook for the UK Government and the UK Government’s Service Standard. With $34 billion (£25 billion) already committed to UK data centers and another $19 billion (£14 billion) aimed at driving AI adoption across industries, it’s clear that it’s part of the UK’s national strategy.

“These frameworks have created the structural integrity needed for responsible, enterprise-wide AI adoption,” said Prabhat Mishra, Analyst at QKS Group. Voluntary frameworks and internal governance models are being operationalized, not just theorized, stated Mishra.

That’s already playing out inside the government. The UK’s own Communication Service used the framework to build and scale “Assist,” a homegrown generative AI tool now in use across 200 departments and public bodies, with a 70% adoption rate and rising. For many organizations, that case study may make ASO feel less like guidance and more like a playbook.

The human-centric core of the ASO model

The framework’s three-phase approach — Adopt, Sustain, Optimize — addresses the human dimensions of AI integration. In the Adopt phase, organizations confront adoption barriers head-on, with specific protocols for identifying and addressing employee skepticism.

“AI implementation can’t be solely techno-centric,” asserted the framework. “It must consider the people involved, their needs, and the barriers they may experience in adopting and using AI effectively and safely, to ensure that the benefits can be realised.” 

Research cited in the documents reveals a significant trust gap, with 50% of UK adults reporting no daily AI use, with only 5% being frequent users. The model seeks to bridge this gap by making AI approachable, not intimidating.

“Sustain” shifts focus to long-term governance challenges, prescribing continuous training regimens and support structures. The guidance emphasizes that technical implementation represents just one component. Successful adoption requires equal attention to behavioral adaptation and process redesign.

The final “Optimize” phase introduces mechanisms for ongoing refinement, including bias monitoring and over-reliance safeguards. The Mitigating Hidden AI Risks Toolkit equips teams with tools like the Hidden Risks Register to spot and tackle subtle issues, including unintended biases that creep into decision-making.

The ASO model also builds on earlier government work, especially its January 2025 report — New Guidance for Evaluating the Impact of AI Tools — which laid out methods to assess AI’s broader economic, societal, and environmental implications. 

Tackling the invisible risks of AI adoption

The framework delivers a sobering critique of current AI safety measures. “None of the existing — predominantly technical — approaches to AI safety are equipped to handle these ‘hidden’ risks,’” the report stated bluntly.

While public anxiety focuses on dramatic AI failures — deepfake scams, biased hiring algorithms, or chatbots fabricating information — the Hidden Risks Toolkit reveals how mundane workplace habits often prove more damaging.

The toolkit maps six categories of such vulnerabilities, spanning user behavior, workplace culture, accountability gaps, and decision fatigue. It’s a shift in mindset from building smarter algorithms to designing safer systems of use.

This behavioral shift mirrors changes in the private sector. “The UK’s voluntary framework is a thoughtful step,” said Mishra. “Firms like Tech Mahindra are adopting Sovereign AI models that respect local data, cultural norms, and legal limits — without sacrificing scale.” Similar efforts are underway at TCS with geo-fenced LLMs for financial clients, and at Capgemini, where ‘Responsible AI by Design’ is being tailored to meet EU AI Act requirements, according to Mishra.

But as AI deployments accelerate, so do the stakes. “For enterprises racing to scale AI, guardrails are no longer optional,” warned Abhishek Ks Gupta, partner and national sector leader at KPMG India. “What was once about risk mitigation is now existential.”

ASO’s implementation barriers

The ASO model’s human-centric approach marks a major advance in AI governance, but real-world adoption faces significant hurdles. Traditional industries, like manufacturing, struggle with psychological safety audits in hierarchical cultures where employees may hesitate to critique AI systems.

For multinationals, the framework adds complexity to an already fragmented regulatory landscape. “Juggling country-specific AI rules isn’t sustainable,” Mishra said. “That’s why standards like ISO 42001 and the OECD AI Principles are critical—they let companies build one governance foundation for multiple jurisdictions.” While innovative, it risks becoming another silo unless aligned with global norms, said Mishra. “Divergence could hinder international adoption.”

However, the framework arrives at a pivotal moment in AI governance maturity. “We’ve moved beyond treating responsible AI as an optional add-on,” Mishra said. “Leading organizations now bake in explainability, audit capabilities, and bias detection from the initial design phase, and these aren’t afterthoughts but core requirements.”

Mishra stressed that the framework’s success rests on global alignment. With shared standards and intuitive tools, ASO could guide firms to embrace AI responsibly, not just rush its rollout.

Source:: Computer World

By Siôn Geschwindt Spanish startup Voltrac has emerged from stealth with an autonomous tractor that lives a double life.  In peacetime, the 3.5-tonne electric vehicle zips around farms, hauling heavy goods and using cameras to gather data on crop health. But when enlisted, the tractor is equally capable of navigating enemy assaults to deliver critical supplies to frontline soldiers. “In Ukraine, for instance, many lives are lost in non-combat situations, including frontline resupply missions,” Voltrac’s cofounder and CTO, Francisco Infante Aguirre, told TNW in an interview. “That’s where we see a machine like ours making a difference: it’s built for tough terrain, and…This story continues at The Next Web

Source:: The Next Web

By Hisan Kidwai Roblox has millions of different experiences, and for car enthusiasts, there’s Driving Empire. It’s an open-world…
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Microsoft has tapped LinkedIn CEO Ryan Roslansky for a dual role leading Microsoft Office and M365 Copilot as the tech company looks to dominate in the enterprise productivity space.

Roslansky will continue to serve as LinkedIn CEO, reporting to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, as he takes on his new role as EVP of Office under EVP Rajesh Jha. He announced the promotion on LinkedIn.

The popular social and recruiting platform for enterprise professionals has steadily increased its revenues and launched new AI-powered products under Roslansky’s leadership, and Microsoft’s move reflects its intent to go all-in on AI.

“LinkedIn has been especially successful at building and extending products over time,” said Hyoun Park, CEO and chief analyst at Amalgam Insights. “There is no doubt that Microsoft wants to bring that expertise to  Microsoft 365, especially in the adoption of Copilot.”

Successful product leader turned CEO

Roslansky will now oversee Office M365 productivity software, which includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams. Microsoft’s AI assistant, M365 Copilot, which launched in 2020, will also be under his purview.

Roslansky has spent 16 years at LinkedIn, five of those as its CEO. Previously, he was SVP of products and content at Glam Media, and general manager and product manager at Yahoo.

Microsoft bought LinkedIn for $27 billion in 2016, and in his LinkedIn post, Roslansky called it “one of Microsoft’s most successful acquisitions.” The platform for connecting business professionals achieved $16.37 billion in revenues in 2024, up from $14.9 billion in 2022. LinkedIn has launched numerous AI products in recent years, including AI-assisted messaging, search, and projects, automated follow-ups, gauging candidate likelihood of interest, and resumé search.

“Roslansky is a successful product leader turned CEO of a subsidiary company,” said Jeremy Roberts, senior director of research and content at Info-Tech Research Group. “He has a good track record of growing LinkedIn’s revenue year-over-year and largely keeping the platform out of trouble.”

Roberts noted that his product bona fides will be “especially useful” as Microsoft figures out how to fit Copilot into its broader product offerings and consolidate its AI strategy between divisions.

Amalgam Insights’ Park pointed out that every enterprise application vendor “desperately” wants to own the business AI usage market, and Microsoft is looking to increase the amount of screen time users have with Office 365.

“Roslansky‘s success in building LinkedIn as a platform demonstrates the potential to have similar success with 365,” he said.

Redefining Microsoft and LinkedIn

In his LinkedIn post, Roslansky called Microsoft Office “one of the most iconic product suites in history” that has “shaped how the world works, literally.” He noted that he is coming into the role in “a new, exciting era where productivity, connection, and AI are converging at scale.”

“Both Office and LinkedIn are used daily by professionals globally, and I’m looking forward to redefining ourselves in this new world,” he wrote.

Roberts noted that pushing deeper integration between its product lines and de-duplicating development efforts is probably also part of Microsoft’s motive for the hire. However, it doesn’t necessarily mean that there will be all sorts of Microsoft Office features natively built into LinkedIn, such as the ability to ask Copilot to build a slideshow in PowerPoint from within LinkedIn, but he believes we could see some rationalization of back-end platforms and services.

“LinkedIn has operated quite independently, so this could be part of a broader effort to fold it in, realize some efficiencies, and further Microsoft’s AI ambitions,” said Roberts. On the other hand, it could also be a circumstance where Microsoft had a product in need of a leader, and a successful product leader looking to expand his portfolio.

Roberts also emphasized that being in charge of Microsoft Office and M365 Copilot is not the same as being in charge of Microsoft 365, which includes enterprise mobility and security, Windows 11, and a number of other applications.

“So it’s both big news and a relatively minor shakeup, depending on what Nadella intends with this move,” said Roberts.

Source:: Computer World

By Thomas Macaulay Klarna’s CEO has warned that software engineers risk being left behind in the AI era — unless they’re also business-savvy. Speaking at SXSW London, Sebastian Siemiatkowski said the talent “who have really accelerated their careers at Klarna” are “business people who have learned to code.” The reason? “They can take their business understanding and turn it into deterministic or probabilistic statements with AI.” This shift, he warned, poses a threat to engineers. “A lot of them have allowed themselves to be isolated with technical challenges only, and not been that interested in what the business actually does,” he said. His message…This story continues at The Next Web

Source:: The Next Web

By Siôn Geschwindt European tech leaders are pushing back against high-profile VCs urging founders to work seven days a week — slamming the grindset mentality as everything from “toxic” to “childish.”  “Calling on founders to work insane hours nonstop is just bad advice,” Suranga Chandratillake, general partner at Balderton Capital and former CEO of video search engine Blinkx, told TNW. “Even sprinters don’t sprint all the time — rest and reflection is just as important as putting in the work.” His comments follow a LinkedIn post on Saturday by Harry Stebbings, podcast host and 28-year-old founder of London-based venture firm 20VC. “What European…This story continues at The Next Web

Source:: The Next Web

Adobe Photoshop was released for iOS in February, and now the popular image editing program is available in a beta version for Android. Users will have access to most of the features in the desktop version, though some tools are hidden until you might need them, according to Ars Technica.

Notably, filters are absent, but users do get a number of AI features that make it easy to delete unwanted objects from an image or create content from a text prompt.

To use the app, a user must first create an Adobe account and have a mobile phone running Android 11 or later. As long as the app is classified as a beta version, it’s free to use; expect some features to go behind a paywall eventually.

Source:: Computer World

By Hisan Kidwai Discord’s Game Overlay feature is pretty amazing for users who want to game and chat with…
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Generative AI (genAI) is enhancing worker value and productivity, not replacing people — and that’s true even for roles that are vulnerable to automation, according to new new research by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).

Analysis by PwC of nearly 1 billion job ads throughout the world showed that genAI-exposed industries have tripled revenue per worker since 2022, proving genAI investments are paying off. Overall, the report showed that AI is transforming jobs, boosting productivity, wages, and skill demands, rather than causing widespread job losses.

The report flies in the face of comments by Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, who told Axios AI could wipe out half of all entry-level white-collar jobs — and spike unemployment to between 10% and 20% in the next one to five years. Anthropic also just made generally available a version of its Claude AI assistant (Claude Code) that can write, edit and debug code, making it nearly as good as a human developer. Known as “vibe coding,” the use of natural language to develop software is expected to boom over the next few years.

Last month, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said AI now writes up to 30% of the company’s code, and that’s expected to quickly increase.

A report from MIT Technology Review Insights found that 94% of business leaders now use genAI in software development, with 82% applying it in multiple stages — and 26% saying they used it in four or more.

“Software developers are evolving into strategic technology orchestrators who harness AI to drive unprecedented business value,” said Kye Mitchell, head of tech staffing firm Experis North America.

The impact of genAI on hiring has been stark, as companies grapple with cleaning, organizing, and sharing data stores for potential use by the technology. Demand for database architects skyrocketed, leaping 2312% in the past year, Mitchell said. Jobs for statisticians also rose sharply, up 382% in the same time frame.

“AI isn’t replacing jobs — it’s fundamentally redefining how work gets done,” she said. “The break point where technology truly displaces a position is when roughly 80% of tasks can be fully automated. We’re nowhere near that threshold for most roles. Instead, we’re seeing AI augment skillsets and make professionals more capable, faster, and able to focus on higher-value work.”

Not surprisingly, PwC also found AI use increasing across all industries, including traditionally low-tech ones like mining and agriculture. The firm also found that wages in AI-exposed sectors are rising twice as fast as in less-exposed sectors. Workers with AI skills earn a 56% wage premium, up from 25% last year.

And AI-driven changes to worker skills are accelerating, with a 66% faster shift in skill requirements in AI-exposed roles.

AI job postings continue to rise, despite a softer job market, showing persistent demand for talent. The information and communication sector leads AI skill demand, while construction and healthcare lag behind, PwC reported.

In the US, jobs with high AI exposure have seen a slowdown in job postings between 2019m and 2024, but greater skill evolution, highlighting how “AI reshapes roles more than it eliminates them,” PwC said.

Employers have continued to pursue skills-based hiring strategies over the past three or so years. About one-half of all April tech job postings did not specify a need for a four-year academic degree, according to CompTIA, a nonprofit trade association that issues professional IT certifications.

Jobs with high gen AI exposure in the US have seen a decrease in degree requirements, falling from 63% in 2019 to 53% in 2024. Jobs exposed to automation now require degrees less often today (41%) than they did in 2019 (56%).

While degree requirements in white collar job listings have markedly decreased over the last several years, the shift toward more AI-based job roles has affected employment – especially in IT-related positions. In April, the tech industry lost 214,000 positions as companies shifted toward AI roles and skills-based hiring amid economic uncertainty, according to an evaluation of the US Bureau of Labor Statistic’s latest jobs report.

Source:: Computer World

It has taken just three years for the GenAI generation of AI to reach the level of use the Internet itself took 23 years to achieve, says legendary US investor Mary Meeker in her latest Trends report. 

That’s why, unless Apple has viable plans we don’t yet know about, it needs make an AI-related acquisition soon. It needs to do so because the new generation of AI is already achieving a global resonance we’ve never seen before. 

With the impact of generative AI (genAI) now spreading across tech, finance, social, politics, and employment, Apple needs to be part of the convergence to maintain relevance.

Where the puck is going

Meeker’s report gives you a solid sense of this, and in doing so shows the extent to which genAI is being deployed across developing economies in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East.  That matters more because many of these areas have not enjoyed ready access to the internet before, which means they aren’t starting with Usenet and scaling to FaceTime – they are beginning their internet adventure with AI. These first-to-AI cohorts will soon become the first “AI-native” populations, driving economic growth in those geographies.

Speed and execution

This is a fast game – more Blink than Bridge. Meeker’s report points at the extent of this disruption. “Seem like change happening faster than ever?” it asks. “Yes, it is,” the report responds, providing a range of metrics to show it — not least the swiftness with which genAI has achieved 800 million weekly active users since October 2022. 

“Rapid advances in artificial intelligence, compute infrastructure, and global connectivity are fundamentally reshaping how work gets done, how capital is deployed, and how leadership is defined – across both companies and countries,” the report says.

Smarter than nothing

Apple, stung by slow development of Apple Intelligence, needs to maintain a place in the race — but the speed of this race underlines the huge risk the company has been forced to take as a result of its well-publicized AI failures.  Apple can’t keep making these errors. It should, perhaps, have been faster to embrace OpenAI when it emerged, rather than permitting Microsoft to get there first.

That error gave Microsoft Copilot wings Siri still can’t match.

Apple may be on the cusp of repeating that mistake with Samsung, which is allegedly looking to take a position with Perplexity. Apple is already working with Perplexity, but recent reports claim Samsung is preparing a wide-ranging deal to use Perplexity AI to provide search on Samsung smartphones. Some wire reports this morning suggest Apple is also interested in Perplexity, citing an older statement Eddy Cue last month made during his testimony at the Google Search trial: “We’ve been pretty impressed with what Perplexity has done, so we’ve started some discussions with them about what they’re doing.”

Grab your partners

The risk is that Perplexity goes with Samsung, leaving Apple in need of a strong AI partner. Apple’s approach might be to become polyamorous, with partnerships with OpenAI, Google Gemini, Perplexity, and others providing some of what its devices need to be part of the AI deployment party. That may even be enough, for a while.

But as competitors begin to chip away at the Android/Apple duopoly with their own alternative hardware capable of running AI (i.e., precisely the kind of hardware former Apple designer, Jony Ive is working on with OpenAI), Apple has too much to lose — far too much to lose.

Existential crisis

That’s why one recent leak claiming Apple’s management has adopted a “by any means necessary” approach to bringing its platforms up to speed for AI is reassuring. After all, it’s not such a huge step, once you accept the need for partnerships with AI service providers, to figure out that perhaps there’s a good reason to acquire one of those providers. 

Not only does Apple have the cash to do it, but just as its huge investment in processor maker PA Semi eventually drove decades of hardware design, so too will AI drive the coming decades in computing. It’s an existential necessity. 

But does Apple need to acquire one of the larger household names in AI?  Probably not. 

Raise them up

There are other firms, some small, some large, that may already have some of the tech that Apple needs. Many of these may lack the infrastructure to deliver their services at a big enough scale to meet the needs of Apple’s billion-plus users. 

Apple might be able to help with that. It has, after all, been making significant investment in Private Cloud Compute — to the extent we’ve even heard it has production lines churning out servers to support that service.

Why make so many servers? With 1 billion users, it might just be to support Apple Intelligence. It could also perhaps enable Apple to offer developers an AWS-style B2B service for secure and private AI. But it could also become an infrastructure on which to host any AI solution Apple might eventually acquire, enabling promising tech to swiftly reach an audience of millions at a time when AI adoption is absolutely spiking.

Will this happen? Even Bloomburg’s Mark Gurman doesn’t seem to know just yet.

Should it? Probably. 

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Source:: Computer World

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