Mass layoffs aren’t rare anymore, they’ve sadly become something we hear about all the time. Whether it’s TCS, Infosys, IBM, Accenture, or even big tech names like Google and Meta, job cuts keep coming every few months. And while companies cite “efficiency,” “digital transformation,” or “AI integration,” let’s call it what it is: people are being replaced, not just tasks.

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) recently announced it would lay off 12,000 employees, many of them in mid- to senior-level roles. While the company denies AI is the reason, claiming instead a “skill mismatch” and an inability to redeploy staff, let’s not sugarcoat it. These aren’t just numbers. These are people who gave years, even decades, of their lives to a system that now sees them as obsolete. Loyalty, overtime, weekend sacrifices, none of it matters when a machine can do it cheaper and faster. Whether or not TCS wants to admit it, this is the brutal face of the AI revolution. It's not just tasks being automated. It's people being replaced.

Not long ago, AI was seen as a productivity tool, something that helped us draft emails, automate repetitive tasks, and free up time for more meaningful work. We welcomed it, even celebrated it. But somewhere along the way, the tool became the replacement. The support system turned into a silent threat.

Take another example: Wipro, one of India’s IT giants. The company has indicated an over 50% reduction in customer service roles after deploying AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants that now handle routine queries and complaints in BPO operations. This trend isn’t limited to TCS; it spans the entire Indian IT sector. In fact, between Infosys, TCS, Wipro, and Tech Mahindra, over 67,000 employees left these firms in just one year, driven by automation and declining demand.

These aren't isolated layoffs; they’re part of a seismic shift in how work gets done. As AI replaces repetitive coding, data entry, and support tasks, even mid- and senior-level positions are under threat. Former HCL CEO Vineet Nayar warned that AI could result in Indian IT firms needing up to 70% fewer people. In India’s banking sector, too, the impact is visible. Institutions like HDFC Bank and SBI now heavily rely on AI chatbots (such as ‘EVA’ and ‘iPal’) to resolve customer inquiries and detect fraud, handling 80–90% of routine queries. As a result, traditional branch and call centre roles are disappearing fast.

Not limited to tech companies

Together, these real-world cases reflect a broader trend: automation is not just optimising the workplace, it’s rewriting it. Jobs once considered stable and human-driven are now being quietly phased out across industries.

This is no longer just about one company or one sector; it’s a wake-up call for every working professional. Whether it’s tech, customer service, journalism, finance, or even the creative industries, no field is immune anymore. The cruel irony? AI is built on the backs of human data, human labour, and human intelligence. 

Yet, it’s now being wielded to cut costs and cut people. Companies parade the term “reskilling” like it’s a magic wand. But a two-week course can’t undo decades of displacement. It can’t rewire a 45-year-old breadwinner juggling EMIs, kids, ageing parents, and a career now on shaky ground. And let’s talk about the emotional wreckage. This isn’t just a pink slip, it’s an identity crisis. It’s the silence of a Monday morning with no calls, no emails, no sense of purpose. It’s the sting of telling your child you don’t have work today. It’s the crushing feeling of watching younger colleagues breeze through AI tools while you try to stay relevant in a world that’s evolving faster than your skills can catch up. This is the human cost of “efficiency.” This is the silent grief that never makes it to the headlines.

The paradox is chilling: AI, created by humans, is now being used to sideline us. We’ve built a smarter world, only to make ourselves redundant in it. The future may be data-driven, but it’s dangerously close to becoming soulless. 

So let’s stop dressing it up. These are not “strategic restructures.” These are human lives being disrupted for shareholder returns. If we’re going to hand over tasks to machines, then companies, governments, and societies must step up and protect the people behind those tasks. Workers deserve more than hollow promises of reskilling and vague assurances of “new roles.” We need accountability. We need a policy. We need empathy. Because if AI is going to shape the future of work, then humans have every right to demand their place in it.