Latest news with #jobloss
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Trump ally says AI could erase entire job categories
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has said that entire job categories could be wiped out by artificial intelligence, as he becomes the latest exec to forecast a seismic change in corporate America. The billionaire, who has recently developed a relationship with the President, spoke about the future of the US workforce during his latest trip to Washington this week. 'Some areas, again, I think just like totally, totally gone,' he said, specifically referencing customer support roles. 'That's a category where I just say, you know what, when you call customer support, you're on target and AI, and that's fine.' Altman, who has an estimated net worth of $1.8 billion, also suggested that AI could already diagnose a patient better than doctors, The Guardian reported. His comments come as an increasing number of Wall Street CEOs have warned about how the rise of AI will take a sledgehammer to jobs. 'Artificial intelligence is going to replace literally half of all white-collar workers in the U.S.,' Ford CEO Jim Farley said earlier this month. Altman said the transformation of customer services is already all but complete. 'Now you call one of these things and AI answers. It's like a super-smart, capable person. There's no phone tree, there's no transfers. It can do everything that any customer support agent at that company could do,' he said. 'It does not make mistakes. It's very quick. You call once, the thing just happens, it's done.' While he said AI's diagnostic capabilities had surpassed human doctors, he did not go so far as to say the technology would wipe out healthcare jobs. 'ChatGPT today, by the way, most of the time, can give you better – it's like, a better diagnostician than most doctors in the world,' he said. 'Yet people still go to doctors, and I am not, like, maybe I'm a dinosaur here, but I really do not want to, like, entrust my medical fate to ChatGPT with no human doctor in the loop.' Altman also opened up about his biggest concerns about AI technology, and how it could be a hotbed for fraud. He said he is concerned that the US is facing an 'impending fraud crisis' as AI could enable criminals to impersonate other people. 'A thing that terrifies me is apparently there are still some financial institutions that will accept a voice print as authentication for you to move a lot of money or do something else – you say a challenge phrase, and they just do it,' Altman said. 'That is a crazy thing to still be doing… AI has fully defeated most of the ways that people authenticate currently, other than passwords.' He also said that he worries about a hostile nation using these weapons to attack the US financial system, The Guardian reported. It comes as Altman, and OpenAI, ramp up their presence in Washington. Altman is increasingly taking the place of his estranged co-founder Elon Musk in the President's inner circle. Musk and Altman were once close collaborators in the founding of OpenAI, but are now engaged in a public feud, with Musk suing the company in November last year. He said the company was 'perverting' its original mission – maximizing profits rather than benefiting humanity. On Tuesday, Altman said OpenAI will open its first office in DC early next year. Despite Altman's warnings about the risks of the technology, there has been a marked change in the mood music around regulation in the last several years. Under the Biden administration, OpenAI and its rivals asked for AI regulation. Now they are urging the government to avoid regulation that could curb companies' ability to compete with foreign innovations, particularly in China. The White House released its 'AI action plan' on Wednesday, vowing to keep 'woke AI' models out of Washington and to win the 'AI race.' One executive order states that the federal government 'has the obligation not to procure models that sacrifice truthfulness and accuracy to ideological agendas.' The administration also signed an order to incite innovation and remove what it called 'onerous Federal regulations' that hamper development of the tech.
BBC News
4 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Brewdog Leeds staff 'gutted' at closure of city's bar
Staff at one of the 10 bars marked for closure by Scottish craft beer giant Brewdog have spoken of their shock after discovering they would lose their brewery's Leeds city centre site shuts permanently on Saturday, with bars in York and Sheffield also among those set to said the "difficult decision" was driven by "ongoing industry challenges" following the announcement of the closures on Tuesday, but the firm has not confirmed the number of staff affected. Oscar Glover, who had worked at Brewdog's Leeds branch on North Street for 16 months, said he was "crushed" by the news. Mr Glover, 20, secured a job with the company after moving to the city to study at said he had been a fan of Brewdog beers before working for the firm."The announcement was even more shocking because it was such short notice," he said."We found out on Tuesday that we were going to close on Saturday, for good. "I'm still settling into the fact that I found out that I'm going to be made redundant." Mr Glover said that despite the personal "shock and dread" he felt at the news, it "wasn't a surprise" to added: "Just because of how the bars had been performing, which was not well enough to be sustainable for the company, I completely understand that's the reason why they decided to shut down some of them."Mr Glover said he had been looking for other jobs since the news. "The job market in Leeds isn't particularly good for bars at the moment," he bar's duty manager, who did not want to be named, said he had "no idea" what he would do for work next."I've not been here that long, but I've settled in with the people and the staff are fantastic," he said."It's gutting that we've been forced off on our own separate ways." Following the announcement of the closures, a Brewdog spokesperson said "rising costs, increased regulation, and economic pressures" had contributed to the decision."Despite our best efforts, and the hard work of our teams, it has simply not been possible to make these bars commercially viable," they said."This decision is not simply a response to the challenging UK hospitality market, but a proactive decision to redefine the bar division's focus for long-term and profitable growth."Alcohol culture expert Dan Harwood said changing drinking habits posed a problem for pubs, but that towns and cities "absolutely" still needed venues."Young people's attitudes to going out and to drinking culture are changing," he said."But even within moderation and reducing alcohol, it doesn't mean everyone is alcohol-free. "There will always be challenges, but it's about making sure you resonate with your audience and making sure that what you are doing and offering is what people want." People in the city centre said they had sympathy for the staff Izzulli said: "I feel bad because it's not nice for the staff and everybody, it's not a nice situation."His friend, 22-year-old Frank Fianu, said: "I'm very sad about this. It's one of the most famous brands to be here in Leeds and people like to drink there." But Jack George said the closure might present more opportunities for "smaller independent companies" to thrive."Particularly in a city like Leeds, that is what's encouraged," he said."People want something homegrown and independent, as opposed to a mega corporation taking the place of the underdogs." Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Daily Mail
23-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Why this picturesque Aussie city could soon be wiped off the map
Thousands of North Queensland jobs could be lost as Swiss mining giant Glencore considers shutting down its operations in Mount Isa and Phosphate Hill. Business advocacy group Townsville Enterprise said the ripple effects could put up to 17,000 jobs at risk across the Northern Queensland economy. Mount Isa, a city with a population of about 20,000 in the state's Gulf Country region, is largely dependent on mining, in particular Glencore's copper and silver-lead zinc facilities. A memo circulated to staff on Wednesday painted a bleak outlook. Glencore's interim CEO warned the company is 'fast reaching the point' where it must place both facilities into care and maintenance unless a rescue deal is reached. 'To date Glencore has been absorbing losses hopeful that a viable solution could be found,' the memo stated. 'However, we are fast reaching the point at which Glencore cannot continue to absorb these losses. We need to know in the coming weeks whether there is a viable solution on the table from governments.' The closure of the two copper operations would directly impact around 550 Glencore workers, with an additional 500 jobs under threat at Dyno Nobel's Phosphate Hill operations. Roland Lobegeiger, field services manager at mechanical firm Isadraulics, said the consequences for Mount Isa would be far-reaching. 'Without it, the town's not going to be here,' he told 'There are other mines, there would be other work in the area, but would the town recover? It's hard to say,' he said. 'It would be a significant change for a lot of businesses, homes, house prices – you name it. It's definitely a bit of a dark cloud over the area. Everyone's still optimistic that they won't shut it down, but no one knows.' Senior Glencore executive Suresh Vadnagra told The Australian the miner was still hopeful of a partnership with government to keep the sites alive, potentially including a public equity stake. 'We have been engaging with government for the past five months,' he said. 'We need to know in the coming weeks whether there is a viable solution on the table from governments or whether we start to planning to transition the copper smelter and refinery into care and maintenance. Time is running out.' Glencore expects the two copper assets could lose billions of dollars over the next seven years, citing rising costs and an increasingly uncompetitive business environment. The warning comes amid broader struggles across Australia's smelting sector. Rio Tinto-owned Tomago, the nation's largest aluminium smelter, is also seeking government support as it battles soaring energy prices and competition from China. Industry Minister Tim Ayres signalled the federal government was open to stepping in, telling The Australian Financial Review. 'The truth is, if these facilities didn't exist, governments would be trying to build them,' he said. Meanwhile, Dr John Coyne, Director of National Security Programs at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute warned the closure could risk national security. 'Without access to local smelting, transport and processing costs will increase, threatening their viability and accelerating the decline of Australia's domestic metals processing sector.' Coyne said. He argued that China, the United States and Europe were moving to secure their own supply chains, in the case of a crisis. 'Australia's failure to think strategically puts its long-term prosperity at risk. Copper demand is expected to double over the next decade' he said.
News.com.au
23-07-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
Two towns face jobless wave as miner warns it may halt operations
North Queensland locals have been left on edge as Swiss miner Glencore reveals it is considering shutting down two operations, placing thousands of jobs in jeopardy. The Mount Isa copper smelter and Townsville copper refinery directly employ 550 people, with 500 jobs also threatened at Dyno Nobel's Phosphate Hill operations, but lobby group Townsville Enterprise estimates 17,000 jobs are connected to the downstream copper assets. Without government assistance, the company will have to place the Mount Isa and Townsville operations into care and maintenance, according to an internal memo to staff from Glencore's interim chief operating officer on Wednesday morning. Roland Lobegeiger, a field services manager for Isadraulics, which services hydraulic component systems, told the move would be a 'significant loss' not just for his company, but the town of Mount Isa. 'Without it, the town's not going to be here,' Mr Lobegeiger said. 'There are other mines – there would be other work in the area, but would the town recover? It's hard to say. 'It would be a significant change for a lot of businesses, homes, house prices – you name it. 'It's definitely a bit of a dark cloud over the area. Everyone's still optimistic that they won't shut it down, but no one knows.' Mr Wilson's internal memo painted a grim picture of the company's position in North Queensland. 'To date Glencore has been absorbing losses hopeful that a viable solution could be found,' he wrote, according to the Townsville Bulletin. 'However, we are fast reaching the point at which Glencore cannot continue to absorb these losses. 'We need to know in the coming weeks whether there is a viable solution on the table from governments. 'Glencore is genuinely disappointed at the prospect of placing the smelter and refinery into care and maintenance if we do not receive adequate government support.' Talks between Glencore and the Queensland and federal governments have yet to reach a solution, with the miner on track to lose billions of dollars from the two operations over the next seven years. Senior Glencore executive Suresh Vadnagra said the company remained open to taxpayers taking a big equity stake in the refinery and smelter. 'Time is running out,' Mr Vadnagre told The Australian. 'We have been engaging with government for the past five months. 'We need to know in the coming weeks whether there is a viable solution on the table from governments or whether we start to planning to transition the copper smelter and refinery into care and maintenance.' It comes as smelters and refineries are struggling to operate across Australia. The country's biggest aluminium producer, the Rio Tinto-owned Tomago, has requested billions of dollars from the federal and NSW governments amid high power prices and competition with China. The Labor government has held out the possibility of providing loans and taxpayer funds to prop up Australian smelters. 'The truth is, if these facilities didn't exist, governments would be trying to build them,' Industry Minister Tim Ayres told The Australian Financial Review.
Washington Post
23-07-2025
- General
- Washington Post
Miss Manners: Do my former work friends want to be friend-friends?
Dear Miss Manners: After 25 years at the same company, my role was eliminated by the parent corporation. When it comes to former co-workers, who should call whom after such a job loss? I consider this something like a sympathy situation and wonder if the remaining employees should call or write me to offer their support. If I should want to keep in touch with some of my work associates, should I make the first contact? If I have not received any contact, should I assume no one wishes to do so? Is there any convention for this situation? There are multiple conventions, depending on whether the relationship between the current employee and the departing one is personal or solely professional — and also, unfortunately, on whether one wants to do what is proper or what is commonly done. All too often, employees pretend the person fired never existed, which is both heartless and foolish, as it convinces bosses they will get the same response whether they make good decisions or bad ones. But Miss Manners objects to treating such departures like deaths. Besides being unduly pessimistic, this makes personal assumptions about the terms of the separation and the feelings of the former employee. Such assumptions may be inaccurate and even condescending. Employees whose jobs are eliminated should be treated the same as other departing employees. You may reach out to actual friends or they may reach out to you — just be prepared to find out that some people you thought were friends are not so loyal when they do not see you at work. Dear Miss Manners: What is the best way to communicate 'dressy casual' on an invitation? With a decoder ring. Dear Miss Manners: Is it okay to give someone an item that one found? I found a really nice bracelet at a park. I took it to my jeweler, who confirmed that it was made of 14 karat white gold, with diamonds and garnets. I tried my best to find the owner, placing an ad in a local online publication. It has been some weeks now, and no one has claimed it. Someone dear to me has a birthday soon, and her birthstone happens to be a garnet. The bracelet is in a style that I imagine would appeal to her. She is not one to wear much jewelry besides her wedding rings — often just simple earrings when dressing up. But this piece is dainty and the stones are not ostentatious. Would it be okay to give the bracelet to her? As etiquette prohibits you from snatching a gift back out of the recipient's hands, Miss Manners recommends against giving away something to which you do not have a clear title. This will save you the embarrassment of having to explain to someone who sees the notice after returning from an extended stay abroad why you no longer have the bracelet. Or of explaining to your friend how you came by an exact replica of her grandmother's bracelet, which the grandmother lost on a walk in the park last month. New Miss Manners columns are posted Monday through Saturday on You can send questions to Miss Manners at her website, You can also follow her @RealMissManners. © 2025 Judith Martin
