How To Address AI-Driven Layoffs: 15 Ways To Maintain Trust
Generic statements and corporate spin aren't enough to mitigate the risk of bad publicity. Companies in the midst of layoffs need to respond with transparency, accountability and a clear plan. Here, 15 Forbes Agency Council members share practical strategies for addressing AI-driven job losses in a way that protects brand reputation and preserves public confidence.
1. Own The Decision With Honesty And Humanity
AI doesn't fire people; leaders do. If you're automating, own it. Be human about it. Say what's changing, why and how you'll support those affected. Transparency, empathy and accountability are the only currencies that preserve trust when people's livelihoods are the cost of progress. - Elijah Schneider, Modifly
2. Share A Clear Strategy For Long-Term Success
Corporate leaders need to outline a clear strategy for how automation and new processes will enable the organization to survive and thrive. The rise of AI is resulting in the nature of work changing. Because AI provides answers to complex questions that used to require manual number crunching, it enables employees to ask better questions and focus more on the complex activities of running an organization. - Tim Johnson, UPRAISE Marketing + Public Relations, Inc.
3. Be Transparent About The Bigger Vision
As companies evolve with AI and automation, it's not about softening reality but about being clear, human and forward-looking. Innovation will always create shifts in how we work. The key is helping people see the bigger vision and adapt. Leaders should communicate with conviction, not spin. Be transparent about the company's direction and why changes happen, and continue to invest in growth in new ways. - Danielle Sabrina, Society22 PR
4. Clarify The Direction Long Before The Announcement
To keep trust after AI-driven layoffs, comms should start long before the announcement. If a company has clearly shared its goals and values—and made decisions that reflect them—it can always point back to that plan. People may not like the news, but they'll respect how it was handled if it's consistent with the company's stated direction. - Christine Wetzler, Pietryla PR & Marketing
Forbes Agency Council is an invitation-only community for executives in successful public relations, media strategy, creative and advertising agencies. Do I qualify?
5. Frame Layoffs As Part Of A Strategic Pivot
Openly map how automation refocuses talent on high-impact areas, then outline concrete aid packages, rapid reemployment support and retraining programs. Share stories from affected teams, host transparent town halls and publish metrics on retraining outcomes to rebuild credibility and trust. Measure sentiment shifts to iterate messaging. - Vaibhav Kakkar, Digital Web Solutions
6. Retrain And Reallocate Where Possible
It's important to remember that technology has continued to change the business world since the dawn of time. The advent of AI is no different. As corporations upgrade old processes, efforts should be made to retrain and/or reallocate personnel into other roles moving forward, while continuing to provide an amazing product or service that will set the company up to succeed for the next decade. - Bernard May, National Positions
7. Speak Plainly And Take Responsibility
Avoid sugarcoating AI-driven layoffs. Own the decision with clarity and respect. People don't trust brands that hide behind buzzwords. Say what's changing, why it matters and how you'll minimize harm. Real leadership communicates directly and takes responsibility. - Jason Mudd, Axia Public Relations
8. Pair Transparency With Real Support
The best approach is transparency paired with empathy. Don't just announce AI-driven layoffs—highlight how the company supported affected employees through severance, reskilling or other aid. Framing it as giving them the softest landing possible shows humanity, not just efficiency, and helps preserve long-term trust and brand integrity. - Austin Irabor, NETFLY
9. Frame The Future As A Human Opportunity
AI-driven layoffs are inevitable, but they could also mark the beginning of a new human renaissance. Corporations must be transparent but bold in supporting a future where automation frees people to rediscover creativity, purpose and craftsmanship. With systemic support, we can shift from labor to meaning, an evolution where humanity thrives beyond productivity. - Cagan Sean Yuksel, Dreamspace
10. Be Honest And Compassionate
Acknowledge the layoffs, thank affected employees and share how you're supporting them. Explain why automation is being used and how it will improve service. Show your values through actions. People respect transparency and care more about how you treat others during tough times. - Guy Leon Sheetrit, Guac Digital
11. Avoid Jargon And Communicate With Clarity
Acknowledge the reality, respect the people and show the plan. Consumers don't expect perfection, but they do expect accountability. That means avoiding jargon, clearly naming the change and providing clarity on what comes next for both your workforce and your mission. The companies that retain trust are the ones that treat comms as continuity, not crisis control. - Kyle Arteaga, The Bulleit Group
12. Explain The Impact And Share The Vision Ahead
AI-driven change is inevitable and fast approaching. Publicly traded companies must be transparent about job cuts, not just outcomes. Acknowledge the impact, support displaced workers and share a long-term vision. Education systems also must track shifting talent needs to keep society proactive, resilient and meaningfully productive. - Goran Paun, ArtVersion
13. Keep The Conversation Open And Ongoing
Embrace candid communication and keep the dialogue open. Explain why automation demands change, honor the people affected with genuine empathy and detail robust retraining or transition support. Provide regular updates on both workforce transitions and customer benefits. By owning decisions and offering help, corporations preserve consumer trust and turn disruption into shared opportunity. - Lars Voedisch, PRecious Communications
14. Focus On Change, Not Layoffs
It's vital to emphasize that the times are changing, and you are changing with them—and it's not a bad thing. The brand must communicate that it's creating new opportunities for employees to grow into new roles, where AI acts as a partner, bringing out the best in them: creativity, empathy and critical thinking. - Nataliya Andreychuk, Viseven
15. Demonstrate Company Values Through Action
Transparency builds trust. Announce changes early with a clear rationale beyond 'AI made us do it.' Offer robust retraining, transition support and internal mobility first. Showcase how you're investing in your remaining employees' growth. Actions during layoffs signal company values—treat departing staff with dignity and generosity. - Kathleen Lucente, Red Fan Communications
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Insider
a few seconds ago
- Business Insider
Paul Graham's guide to how you can save your job from AI
Paul Graham, the founder of startup incubator Y Combinator, said identifying and leaning into your passions will be the best way to secure your job in the age of AI. "It may be a mistake to ask which occupations are most safe from being taken by AI," Graham wrote in an X post on Tuesday. "What AI (in its current form) is good at is not so much certain jobs, but a certain way of working. It's good at scutwork. So that's the thing to avoid," he continued. Graham said programming jobs "at the bottom end" are not safe from AI, adding that "those jobs are already disappearing." Top programmers "who are good enough to start their own companies," on the other hand, can still command top salaries, he wrote. "So I think the best general advice for protecting oneself from AI is to do something so well that you're operating way above the level of scutwork," Graham said. Representatives for Graham at Y Combinator did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider. Graham said that to become a superstar in your chosen field, you've got to have passion. "It's hard to do something really well if you're not deeply interested in it," he added. Graham isn't the only one who has acknowledged AI's disruptive potential on the job market. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg told podcaster Joe Rogan in a January interview that he expects AI to be able to write code like a midlevel engineer within this year. Then, in May, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei told Axios in an interview that AI could wipe out 50% of entry-level office jobs in the next five years. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York published a labor market report in February that said computer science graduates faced an unemployment rate of 6.1%. That was higher than other majors, such as history at 4.6% and biology at 3%. Other business leaders like "Shark Tank" star Mark Cuban and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang have criticized Amodei's prediction. Cuban voiced his disagreement with Amodei in a post on Bluesky, arguing that "new companies with new jobs will come from AI and increase TOTAL employment." Huang told reporters at the VivaTech 2025 conference in Paris in June that AI could also create new opportunities, while some jobs could disappear. "Do I think AI will change jobs? It will change everyone's. It's changed mine," Huang said.
Tom's Guide
29 minutes ago
- Tom's Guide
ChatGPT-5 is coming — here's how it could change the way we prompt forever
The way we interact with AI is evolving not only because the models are getting smarter, but because we are becoming more familiar to talking to them. With ChatGPT-5 expected to bring even more advanced reasoning capabilities, a quiet shift is happening in how we craft prompts, especially when it comes to guiding the AI to think step by step. As we use chatbots to solve complex math problems, making travel plans or even just leaning on it for creative brainstorming, the way you structure your prompt can make or break the result. And with GPT-5 on the horizon, 'prompting' might start to feel less like typing or voicing a command and more like working alongside a smart partner with reasoning skills. When we take a look back at previous versions like early GPT-4, prompt structure was fairly forgiving. You could ask for a list, a summary or a poem, and the chatbot usually delivered something usable. But for more complex problems such as multi-step logic, tradeoffs or planning, the responses could become muddled or jump to conclusions. Even hallucinate at times. But now, we may see a shift to a subtle, but more powerful prompting tactic of step-by-step or chain-of-thought prompting. This style cues the model to break down its reasoning, which makes the results noticeably better. While ChatGPT-5 is still not available to the public, we can take a look at chain-of-thought prompting with current chatbots to see how more structured prompting produces a more accurate and useful response. As ChatGPT evolves, it's safe to assume other chatbots will follow. Prompt 1: "What's the best U.S. city to visit in November?"Prompt 2: "Let's think step by step about the best U.S. city to visit in November, considering weather, events, and budget." Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. I gave both prompts to Claude 4 Sonnet and you can clearly see the depth and detail of the response in the second. The chatbot gave me a full reasoning trail while the first prompt gave a list of cities. Both good, but one much more helpful. Prompt 1: 'Give me a cheap, healthy meal plan for the week.'Prompt 2: 'Create a step-by-step weekly meal plan that's affordable and healthy. Start by selecting 3-4 base ingredients I can use in multiple meals, then build out breakfast, lunch, and dinner options. Keep costs low and nutrition high.' While the chain-of-thought reasoning takes more initial effort, the outcome is worth the extra effort. You can see in this example, Gemini was exceptionally detailed in the second prompt by highlighting key base ingredients and why those were chosen. The first prompt also delivered a healthy and cheap meal plan, but far less nuanced and sophisticated. Prompt 1: 'Jane has twice as many apples as Tom. Together they have 18 apples. How many does each person have?'Prompt 2: 'Let's solve this step by step. Jane has twice as many apples as Tom, and together they have 18. First, define variables, then write an equation and solve it.' Even in the first prompt, ChatGPT already offered a basic step-by-step breakdown. The chain-of-thought prompt included more, including defining the variables, which is something we are sure to see even more with ChatGPT-5. OpenAI has hinted that its next major release will focus heavily on reasoning and planning, and the addition of agent-like abilities means models will go beyond basic response generation to make decisions, execute actions and pause to reflect or think. That means the way we prompt will matter more than ever. We'll likely see greater rewards for structured prompts (step-by-step thinking, goal-based requests, conditional instructions). ChatGPT-5 might anticipate these behaviors and begin prompting us back in more collaborative ways. In other words, asking "What should I do this weekend?" may soon feel outdated. Instead, we might start saying: "Here are my preferences, budget and time. Let's plan a weekend step by step. Make suggestions and I'll approve." If you want to get ahead of the curve, here are a few strategies already working well with GPT-4.5 and likely to shine with GPT-5: ChatGPT-5 will undoubtedly make AI smarter, but how we talk to it will still matter. Step-by-step prompting is the secret to collaborating better with AI and to get the most out of it. As chatbots become more human-like, the best way to utilize their abilities is to ask them to think like one, one step at a time. Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
Entrepreneur
29 minutes ago
- Entrepreneur
AI Alone Won't Save You — Humans Still Run the Show
The smartest system still needs people who can turn its output into action. Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. There's a story I keep coming back to. You've probably heard it, too. One time, a cargo ship broke down in the water. The crew couldn't figure out what was wrong, so they called in a couple of experts one by one, but no one could figure out the fault. Then they called in an old professional who had been fixing engines since he was young. He walked in, studied the engine for a few minutes, and tapped a single spot with a hammer. The engine came back to life. A few days later, the captain got an invoice for $10,000. He pushed back, saying that the old man barely touched it and couldn't justify the high cost. The expert responded that tapping the hammer costs $2. Knowing where to tap is $9,998. That story never gets old to me. Because no matter how advanced a system is (even as advanced as AI), its value still comes down to who's operating it. Related: Your Company's Security Strategy Has a Glaring Hole. Here's What's Causing It — and How to Fix It. Humans are still the ones holding the hammer As the COO of a technology company, I regularly speak with business leaders eager to adopt AI solutions. They acknowledge the importance of having the right data and technical infrastructure to support AI, but rarely discuss the human element. For example, who will build, train, maintain and use the AI tools the company adopts? That clarity is almost always missing. AI can indeed be beneficial, but only if you have the right people who can guide it thoughtfully and strategically. In the AI readiness assessments we perform at our company, I often notice that even smart, experienced leaders underestimate the importance of these human skills and perspectives. Leaders are aware of the core business challenges they're trying to solve. Still, they often fail to consider who in their organization has the best understanding of AI and how much upskilling is needed so their employees can get the most out of it. AI is great at analyzing massive amounts of data, but you still need a team capable of connecting those data insights to your larger business goals. You need people who can identify opportunities that no machine would notice without a command. I've seen plenty of companies invest heavily in AI systems, only to realize later that their people lacked the critical thinking or strategic perspective necessary to use the technology effectively. Likewise, AI is very good at automating repetitive, manual tasks, but you still need people to handle the edge cases and complex tasks AI can't do. You still need people who know where to tap with the hammer when the ship is dead in the water. Join top CEOs, founders and operators at the Level Up conference to unlock strategies for scaling your business, boosting revenue and building sustainable success. So, what kind of people do you need to make AI work? At the top, a Chief Data Officer (CDO) or VP of AI Strategy sets the direction by deciding how AI can solve strategic problems. Next, AI Product Managers shape that vision into projects, using basic tech know-how to bridge business and AI. Below them, Data Scientists cleanse and prepare data for AI consumption, while Machine Learning Engineers create the AI models that turn data into insights. Business Analysts use those insights to improve decision-making. AI Ethics Specialists oversee compliance, especially in fields like healthcare, making sure the AI doesn't break laws or fairness rules. Change Management Leads get everyone on board, training staff to use AI tools without pushback. These roles interlock: the CDO sets the goal, Product Managers plan, technical teams build, Analysts tweak, Ethics Specialists check and Change Leads make it stick. After all these years in Operations, I've seen a lot of technology come and go. And there's always excitement around the next big thing. But in all that time, one thing's never changed: Tools don't drive results; people do. It's no different with AI. Yes, it's much more powerful and can alter every process we have been following so far. But it doesn't create business value on its own. That still takes sharp minds who know how to make AI work for the business. Mind you, finding those people is not easy. The competition for AI talent is intense. From AI architects, data scientists and engineers to AI-savvy marketers, customer support and departmental leaders, supply is tight and demand is high. Related: How to Get Your Business Recommended by AI Tools Like ChatGPT — and Win More Clients AI is the hammer AI isn't the old ship mechanic; it's his hammer. Your investment in AI can only pay off if you've got people who know precisely where and how to apply it. The smartest technology in the world won't move your business forward if your people aren't clear about how to turn the insights it delivers into strategic action.
