AI Layoffs, Brain Drain & Bot Recruiters
AI & Future of Work 20th of June
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This post gives you a concise selection of AI and future-of-work news. I’m Johannes Sundlo, an HR leader who tests AI every day and helps organisations put it to work.
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Coinbase details AI recruiting overhaul
Coinbase’s CPO L.J. Brock shows how in-house tools now screen résumés, run 15-minute AI phone interviews, auto-schedule panels and capture notes, with 85 percent of 320 pilot candidates calling the process “clear, conversational, and easy.” All eligible roles outside the EU/UK should be on the system by year-end 2025 so recruiters can focus on relationship-building.
Why it matters for HR: This is a live case of an end-to-end AI hiring funnel. It keeps humans in the scoring loop and logs every model decision, giving auditors a clear trail, yet still cuts manual work enough to lift candidate-satisfaction scores. Note that résumé screening skips EU and UK jobs, proof that regional rules can shape design choices, so map your own compliance constraints early. Treat Coinbase’s 85 percent approval as a baseline and track your own metrics; if speed gains let recruiters spend more time coaching candidates and hiring managers, update their KPIs to reward that higher-value work
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MIT study: ChatGPT may lower brain engagement
Published 10 June, MIT tested 54 volunteers writing essays with ChatGPT, Google Search or no tools. EEG scans showed the ChatGPT group had the weakest brain connectivity and recalled less of what they wrote.
Why it matters for HR:
I’m not impressed. The sample is tiny, yet it warns of possible cognitive costs.
But important to also highlight studies like this as well, especially as they are causing headlines that makes a lot of people go “I knew it. AI is bad.”
It’s not. Technology is both bad and good, it depends, as always on HOW you use it.
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Amazon CEO: AI will shrink corporate headcount
CEO Andy Jassy told staff that new generative-AI agents will “reduce our total corporate workforce in the next few years.” Warehouse teams will also get more robotics and predictive tools.
Why it matters for HR:
Start workforce-planning now. Map roles that are likely to disappear and list adjacent roles that need more people. Launch reskilling paths before the first cuts. Set clear talking points for managers so rumours do not fill the gap. Align talent acquisition targets with the new skills plan.
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HBR: organisations are not ready for agentic-AI risk
Ethicist Reid Blackman warned that autonomous agents can trigger actions no one can trace.
Why it matters for HR:
Write a policy that says which tasks agents may handle and when humans must step in. Add a RACI grid so staff know who owns an agent, who audits it and who shuts it off. Require audit logs for every people-facing action. Train teams to report malfunctions fast and without blame.
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Legal brief: AI in hiring brings Title VII, ADA and ADEA exposure
A 17 June National Law Review note lists bias audits, vendor due-diligence and privileged model reviews as baseline defences when AI touches hiring, promotion or pay.
Why it matters for HR:
Keep a live inventory of every model that screens applicants or employees. Run disparate-impact tests at least quarterly and store the results under legal privilege. Build accommodation workflows so candidates can opt out of automated tools. Update vendor contracts to spell out audit rights and liability sharing.
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Private-equity playbook: create value with AI, then exit
HBR authors Vikram Mahidhar and Thomas Davenport (16 June) show how PE firms lift EBITDA by dropping AI copilots into finance, sales and supply chains within 18 months of acquisition.
Why it matters for HR:
Expect demanding timelines. Pair each AI rollout with a change-management sprint that includes quick wins and clear metrics. Shift bonuses so leaders are paid for adoption, not just cost cuts. Sign retention deals for data and process experts who carry critical knowledge during the transition.
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Google Gemini now summarises PDFs and Google Forms
Rolling out from 12 June, Gemini shows summary cards in Drive and condenses form responses.
Why it matters for HR:
Recruiters can skim long CVs in seconds and draft interview questions on the spot. L&D teams can pull highlights from manuals or training feedback. Add a step where users compare the summary with the source before sharing to avoid errors. Check your data-handling rules so sensitive files stay in the right Drive folders.
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