AI & Labor Watch: April 14, 2025 — Automation's Accelerating Impact on Employment

🔍 Key Stories Shopify Mandates AI Evaluation Before New Hires 🔗 Shopify CEO says before hiring anyone new, employees must prove AI can’t do the job better Trump’s Tariffs May Accelerate Automation 🔗 Trump Wants Tariffs to Bring Back U.S. Jobs. They Might Speed Up AI Automation Instead Germany’s UBI Experiment Shows Positive Outcomes 🔗 Germans happier - but not lazier - with extra €1,200 month 🧠 What This Tells Us Automation isn’t slowing—it’s being structurally embedded into corporate and political decision-making. From hiring freezes to tariff policy and social experiments, the labor disruption trend is now systemic. The conversation around Universal Basic Income (UBI) is shifting from theory to field data. ...

April 14, 2025

AI & Labor Watch: April 13, 2025 — Automation's Impact on Employment and UBI Discussions

As artificial intelligence (AI) and automation technologies advance, their impact on employment becomes increasingly evident. Recent studies and discussions highlight the potential for significant job displacement and the role of Universal Basic Income (UBI) as a mitigating strategy. 🔍 Key Stories AI Exposure Predicts Unemployment Risk 🔗 AI exposure predicts unemployment risk: A new approach to measuring technological unemployment UBI as a Response to AI-Driven Job Displacement 🔗 AI Job Displacements: UBI to the Rescue? ...

April 13, 2025

AI & Labor Watch: April 12, 2025 — Automation Accelerates Job Displacement

Recent reports highlight the significant impact of AI and robotics on workforce dynamics. As automation technologies continue to evolve, job displacement across multiple industries is accelerating. These developments emphasize the need for proactive measures to ensure economic stability and worker dignity. 🔍 Key Stories R&D Layoffs Reach 53,686 Amid AI Integration Industries from Big Tech to biopharma have collectively laid off over 53,000 R&D employees in 2025. Companies like Meta, Google, and Microsoft cite increased reliance on AI-driven development as a factor reducing the need for large engineering teams. 🔗 2025 R&D layoffs tracker: 53,686 and counting ...

April 12, 2025

AI & Labor Watch: April 11, 2025 — Automation Accelerates Job Displacement

Recent reports highlight the significant impact of AI and robotics on workforce dynamics. As automation technologies continue to evolve, job displacement across multiple industries is accelerating. These developments emphasize the need for proactive measures to ensure economic stability and worker dignity. 🔍 Key Stories R&D Layoffs Reach 53,686 Amid AI Integration Industries from Big Tech to biopharma have collectively laid off over 53,000 R&D employees in 2025. Companies like Meta, Google, and Microsoft cite increased reliance on AI-driven development as a factor reducing the need for large engineering teams. 🔗 2025 R&D layoffs tracker: 53,686 and counting ...

April 11, 2025

AI & Labor Watch: April 8, 2025 — AI Surveillance and Workforce Reductions in U.S. Federal Agencies

Recent reports reveal significant developments involving artificial intelligence (AI) and workforce management within U.S. federal agencies. The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, is reportedly utilizing AI tools to monitor federal employees, coinciding with substantial staff reductions across various departments. These actions highlight the growing influence of AI and automation on employment and underscore the urgent need for policies addressing labor displacement and ensuring economic stability. 🔍 Key Stories DOGE Employs AI to Monitor Federal Workers Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is reportedly using AI tools, including the Grok chatbot, to surveil U.S. federal agencies for sentiments perceived as hostile to President Donald Trump and his administration’s policies. This has raised concerns about transparency and potential violations of federal record-keeping laws. 🔗 Musk’s DOGE using AI to snoop on U.S. federal workers, sources say ...

April 8, 2025