Software company Autodesk is cutting about 1,000 roles, or 7% of its global workforce.
The San Francisco company, which makes software used by architects, designers and engineers, told employees on Thursday that “strategic shifts” such as a focus on expanding its leadership in artificial intelligence had fueled the latest cuts.
The company said in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that employees in “customer-facing sales” roles will be most affected by the reductions, and cost savings will be reinvested in company priorities through the fiscal year ending January 2027.
Amid growing concerns that technology will displace workers with the rise of artificial intelligence that can generate code, text, and images, Autodesk CEO and President Andrew Anagnost told employees that is not the reason for layoffs.
“I want to be clear that this is not an annual process at Autodesk, and these changes are not driven by external environments or efforts to replace humans with AI,” he told employees in an email Thursday. “We remain steadfast in our belief that the power of technology is only as good as the people who use it, and that humans are always the most important part of the equation.”
The company changed the way customers buy and renew software subscriptions, requiring them to pay directly to Autodesk.
Autodesk declined to say how many jobs are being cut in California. The company also has offices outside the United States, including in Europe and Asia.
The company plans to lay off about 104 employees at its San Francisco headquarters in April, according to a Thursday letter to the California Employment Development Department.
Autodesk is the latest California technology company to announce new large-scale layoffs this year, despite already cutting jobs in 2025. Last year, Autodesk announced it would cut about 1,350 jobs, or about 9% of its workforce, citing geopolitical and macroeconomic factors and investments in AI.
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, is also cutting employees again and closing multiple content studios as it focuses more on investing in wearables like smart glasses. The layoffs affected more than 1,000 employees, with an emphasis on those engaged in the Metaverse, a digital space where people socialize, work, learn and pursue other online activities.
In the third quarter ending October 2025, Autodesk’s revenue increased 18% to $1.85 billion. The company’s net income for the quarter increased from $275 million to $343 million.
