Schneider Electric Deploys AI Across 160,000-Worker Group to Lift Productivity, Not Cut Jobs
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · May 29
Schneider Electric Deploys AI Across 160,000-Worker Group to Lift Productivity, Not Cut Jobs
4 articles · Updated · The New York Times · May 29
Schneider Electric is rolling out AI across its nearly 160,000-person workforce with the stated goal of boosting employee productivity rather than using the technology to drive layoffs.
Philippe Rambach, the French company's chief AI officer, said Schneider began by pinpointing repetitive and tedious tasks that waste workers' time and distract them from higher-value work.
The approach contrasts with a recent wave of AI-linked job cuts at other companies, where executives have framed success in terms of eliminating roles and reducing labor costs.
Stanford economist Erik Brynjolfsson said that view is too narrow, arguing companies can generate larger gains by using AI to augment workers instead of replacing them.
Beyond profits, does a company’s choice to replace or augment workers with AI reveal its core ethical values?
With most AI investments showing zero return, is the dream of AI-driven productivity just an expensive illusion for businesses?
As AI eliminates entry-level jobs, how can the next generation build a career when the first step is gone?