A CEO from India is facing criticism after announcing that his company has replaced 90% of its human support staff with an AI-powered chatbot. Suumit Shah, the founder of Dukaan, posted on Twitter that the chatbot has significantly improved response and resolution times for customer inquiries. However, this announcement has sparked outrage as concerns about artificial intelligence taking over human jobs have been widely discussed.
Shah defended his decision in a series of tweets, stating that the move was necessary for the profitability of the business. He acknowledged that letting employees go was a tough decision but emphasized that customer support had been a longstanding struggle for the company. Shah also shared the process of building the bot and AI platform, highlighting its speed and accuracy in addressing various queries.
While Shah mentioned that there are job openings at the company, many Twitter users criticized his tweets, accusing him of making a heartless choice at the expense of his staff's livelihoods. Some questioned the assistance provided to the laid-off employees and expressed disappointment that the announcement seemed more like a celebratory marketing thread.
Shah responded to the criticism, stating that he would address the issue of assistance for his staff on LinkedIn, as Twitter users seemed more focused on profitability than sympathy.
The incident reflects the growing trend of businesses utilizing generative AI tools, such as ChatGPT, to increase productivity and reduce costs. However, this has also raised concerns among workers who fear that technology will replace them in the workplace. A recent report by Goldman Sachs suggested that AI could potentially replace 300 million full-time jobs, further fueling worries about job losses, particularly in countries like India where companies are investing in AI product development.
0 Comments