IBM executive Rob Thomas recently posited that managers who use AI will replace those who don’t. His thoughts come as IBM recently announced that it would pause hiring for jobs that could be replaced by AI. Research shows that some cutting-edge AI tools like ChatGPT can suitably manage employee cases like addressing them on sexual harassment, pay equity, heavy workloads, and a freeze on raises.
IBM is a tech giant which is the world’s largest IT services firm. It has 26,000 non-customer facing roles, of which Arvind Krishna, the company’s CEO, estimated that around 30% would be replaced by AI and automation over a five year period. Earlier this year, the firm had to cut down 3,900 jobs. Moreover, Richard Baldwin, an economist, also echoed Thomas’s sentiment on AI saying that “AI won’t take your job. It’s somebody using AI that will take your job.”
Rob Thomas is the Chief Commercial Officer at IBM. He has a unique MS/MBA from MIT and has nine years of experience in the tech industry. He leads the Global Markets organization which includes five core areas: Sales, Offering Management, Business Partners, Business Development, and Strategy, Innovation and Communications. Thomas believes that while AI may not replace managers, those who use it will end up replacing the ones who don’t. As the tech landscape advancements, it is important for managers to learn how to use AI to stay relevant in the industry.
