Companies Are Calling Back Workers They Replaced With AI

Almost a fifth of Americans laid off due to artificial intelligence (AI) have been offered their jobs back. This is known as “AI rebound” and according to talent assessment company SHL, 19.1% of US participants reported that they had been replaced by AI and then offered their roles back. Over half of these people insisted on being paid more before accepting the position. After over-relying on chatbots, buy-now-pay-later firm Klarna has brought back human customer service representatives. Meanwhile, car manufacturer Ford has employed 350 engineers after finding that AI quality control systems weren’t up to scratch.

Businesses must adapt to a world where employees can return under their own conditions. Downsizing to cut costs on AI has proven to be more expensive than anticipated. Crucial customer insights and procedural knowledge were lost when these employees were let go, and the information wasn’t passed onto the technology. It’s also an indication that the pace of automation has outstripped the process of determining which roles can be automated.