IBM CEO plans to halt hiring for roles that can be replaced by AI

International Business Machines Corp. (IBM) is planning to pause hiring for positions that could be replaced by artificial intelligence in the next few years, according to CEO Arvind Krishna.

He explained in an interview that hiring for back-office roles, including those in human resources, will be suspended or slowed. Such non-customer-facing roles amount to around 26,000 workers, of which about 30% could be replaced by AI and automation over a five-year period, meaning the loss of approximately 7,800 jobs.

IBM is not planning to replace roles that are vacated through attrition, however. Krishna's plan is one of the largest workforce strategies announced in response to the accelerating development of AI and its potential impact on the labour market.

Krishna suggested that more mundane tasks, such as employment verification letters or moving employees between departments, will likely be fully automated. Some HR functions, including evaluating workforce composition and productivity, are unlikely to be replaced over the next decade, he added.

IBM is currently hiring for software development and customer-facing roles, and Krishna said it is easier to find talent today than it was a year ago.