As artificial intelligence continues to redefine the global technology landscape, cognitive CEO Rabbi Kumar will remain optimistic that AI will create new opportunities rather than eliminate the role of engineers. However, the ongoing employment freeze, significant employment cuts across large tech companies, and the expansion of automation adoption have painted far more uncertain pictures for new graduates entering the job market. In reality, AI cannot directly replace engineers, but it definitely restructures the skills needed to stay competitive.
Like many experts, software developers are increasingly concerned as AI systems evolve from simple assistants to highly capable coders. At the heart of this debate is a bold claim from Ravi Kumar of Cognizant. Business Insider“AI won't take away jobs. It will create more.”
Kumar offers a more hopeful perspective in conversations that are often covered by disastrous predictions. He argues that he has observed how AI tools can empower junior developers rather than make junior developers redundant. “The technological confusion so far is putting information on your fingertips, which is technology that puts expertise on your fingertips,” he explained. Cognizant's internal data supports his views, showing that the productivity of experienced developers increases by 37% when supported by AI, even the most skilled coders are superior.
Kumar argues that AI simplifies complex tasks reduces the benefits of deep expertise and reduces the level of the arena. In his words, AI becomes “a ladder, not a lever for redundancy,” and can hire fresh graduates who can contribute immediately thanks to AI's support.
AI Job Cut: The other side of the story
However, other technical leaders have different opinions. Dario Amodei, co-founder and CEO of Anthropic, predicts mass removal will be on the horizon, particularly at the entry level. Speaking about industries that could bear the brunt of AI's rapid advancement, Amodei said that unemployment can be expected in the “at least” sectors across sectors such as technology, finance, law, and consulting. He showed that these changes could unfold over the next one to five years.
Amodei took the warning a step further, suggesting that both businesses and governments could be “sweetting” some of the imminent threats, adding that the majority remain little aware of the true scale of the transformation that lies ahead. He further warned that unemployment could surge dramatically, potentially reaching 20%.
Between the extremes, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang recently shared his perspective. He said that AI certainly changes jobs, but that wouldn't lead to mass unemployment.
AI is currently taking away jobs
And that seems to bring Amody's perspective back to life. Large tech companies like Salesforce and Meta are expanding employment with reports suggesting they will significantly reduce recruitment. Microsoft has revealed that AI writes 20-30% of its code, but Google's AI system contributes to over 30% of its new code generation. Meanwhile, Meta is working on AI models that can be coded with mid-level engineer proficiency, according to CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
This AI use has resulted in major high-tech layoffs. Major tech giants such as Microsoft, Amazon and Google are once again cutting thousands of jobs in response to ongoing economic uncertainty. With declining revenues and increasing workplace influence in AI (AI) transformation, these companies are making significant workforce cuts to increase efficiency and reallocate resources. Data from layoff tracker layoffs show that as of May 2025, more than 61,220 technical employees had been fired from 130 companies.
The harsh differences raise another point. How are you so sure that AI will create more jobs when other tech companies are cutting it off? The difference is primarily in how AI is applied. In Cognizant, Kumar explains that AI functions as an augmentation tool that amplifies human skills. However, in companies like Salesforce, Meta and Duolingo, AI is increasingly replacing human labor and achieving more of a lack of employees. As the concept of productivity changes, so does meaningful definitions of work.
