Atlassian boss Mike Cannon-Brookes axes 150 jobs via AI, then defends his private jet in brutal video message
AI job replacements latest news:
Atlassian co-founder and billionaire CEO Mike Cannon-Brookes delivered a pre-recorded video message to staff this week announcing the company would
cut 150 jobs
as
artificial intelligence
would be taking over their place, as per a report.
Atlassian Lays Off 150 Employees as AI Takes Over Key Roles
The message, sent Wednesday morning, featured the 45-year-old tech mogul casually dressed in a faded green hoodie, speaking from what appeared to be his home office, as per a Sky News report. In the video, Cannon-Brookes explained that some roles were being removed as part of the company's shift toward AI-driven efficiencies, according to the report.
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Impacted Staff Waited for Email Confirmation After Layoff Video
What made the moment more jarring for some employees, however, was the impersonal delivery. Impacted staff reportedly had to wait another 15 minutes after the video to learn whether they were among those being let go, only finding out via email about their fate, as reported by Sky News. In the hours that followed, affected employees were locked out of their laptops, according to the report.
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Atlassian to Pay Affected Employees for Six Months
Atlassian has said that it will pay impacted staff for the next six months, as per the Sky News report.
Live Events
OpenAI's Sam Altman Also Warns of AI Replacing Entire Job Categories
While the firm has not revealed which roles were affected, but the Sydney Morning Herald reported that the cuts affect
customer service roles exposed to AI
.
This is the latest layoff that comes in the tech industry, which has increasingly conducted mass layoffs for years now as companies double down on multibillion-dollar investments in AI data center buildouts and poaching high-profile talent from their competitors, as reported by Futurism.
Recently, even
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman
warned that entire job categories, including the customer support roles that took a hit at Atlassian, could soon be entirely taken over by AI, according to the report.
ALSO READ:
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman reveals which job roles will disappear soon — Is yours on the AI hit list?
Mike Cannon-Brookes' Wealth and Private Jet Draw Criticism Amid Atlassian's Workforce Cuts
Atlassian's workforce reduction has sparked backlash both within and outside the company, particularly given Cannon-Brookes' high personal wealth, estimated at
$13.9 billion
, and his controversial investments.
The decision to cut jobs in favor of AI comes at a time when the CEO has been actively investing in renewable energy ventures, including an undersea cable project linking Darwin to Singapore to export solar energy, but his recent purchase has drawn sharp criticism was a gas-guzzling
private jet
in March, as per Sky News report.
Atlassian CEO Justifies $75M Jet as 'Present Dad' Move
Back in March, Cannon-Brookes defended his controversial decision to buy a Bombardier 7500, a long-range jet that can cost upwards of $75 million, stating on LinkedIn that it allows him to be a 'present dad' while running a global business, as reported by Sky News. He admitted the move raised ethical questions, saying, 'I'm not denying I have a deep internal conflict on this,' as quoted in the report.
The CEO justified saying, 'There's a couple of reasons I've purchased a plane. Personal security is the primary reason (an unfortunate reality of my world), but also so I can run a global business from Australia, and still be a constantly present dad,' as quoted in the Sky News report.
ALSO READ:
Texas AI centers guzzle 463 million gallons, now residents are asked to cut back on showers
Atlassian Co-Founder Praises AI's Potential on Same Day as Layoffs
The layoffs came just as Atlassian's other co-founder, Scott Farquhar, appeared at the National Press Club of Australia, praising AI as essential for the future, according to the report.
Farquhar said, 'Firstly, most people don't think about where their water or power comes from and people don't think about where AI comes from or where the AI they use on their phone comes from every day,' adding, 'There is a huge boom in creating data centres for the region and, beyond that, there is a huge boom in using AI for everyday life," as quoted in the Sky News report.
He highlighted that, 'Every person should be using AI daily for as many things as they can," adding, 'Like any new technology, it will feel awkward to start with, but every businessperson, every business leader, every government leader and every bureaucrat should be using it,' as quoted in the report.
FAQs
Why did Atlassian lay off 150 employees?
Atlassian says the layoffs were due to a shift toward artificial intelligence, which is now able to handle some roles previously done by humans, especially in customer service.
Will the laid-off employees get severance?
Yes, Atlassian said it will continue paying affected employees for the next six months.
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