2026-03-12T02:28:51.069Z
- Atlassian has cut 1,600 jobs, or about 10% of its workforce, as it focuses on AI.
- CEO Mike Cannon Brooks addressed employees in a four-minute video explaining the layoffs.
- He said he deeply regrets the “disruption” the layoffs have caused to his life.
In a four-minute video, Atlassian CEO Mike Cannon-Brooks explained to employees why the company is laying off about 1,600 people, or about 10% of its workforce, as it pivots more aggressively toward AI.
In a message on the company’s blog, Cannon-Brooks said the decision was difficult but necessary as AI reshapes the way software companies operate. He said this shift is not just about cutting costs, but changing the mix of skills that companies need when building products for the AI era.
Approximately 30% of affected roles are based in Australia. The Australian-American software company was founded in 2002 by Cannon Brooks and Scott Farquhar, both of whom are ranked among Australia’s 50 richest people by Forbes magazine.
The layoffs come amid broader changes across the technology industry as companies reshape for the AI era. Block cut nearly half its workforce last month, citing productivity gains from AI.
Watch Cannon-Brookes’ video message to employees here.
