Big tech’s PR pivot on the AI jobs apocalypse was predictable – what should scaleups take from it?

Last week, steep falls in the value of chip maker companies and the tech-heavy Nasdaq reignited concerns around the AI bubble and the hype surrounding the AI revolution. In particular, Meta’s shares fell by more than 8%, despite Mark Zuckerberg’s recent PR push to boost AI optimism. 

But what’s been notable is the corresponding shift in tone by tech leaders around a complete AI takeover of jobs. A day earlier, most likely in anticipation of the news, Zuckerberg exclaimed that he didn’t “understand why anyone who believes that AI will eliminate most jobs and much of humanity’s relevance would rush to build that future”.

This follows on from similar comments by OpenAI’s Sam Altman, who said in May: “I don’t think we’re going to have the kind ​of jobs apocalypse that some of the companies in our space advocate or talk about.” (Others, like the overlord Elon Musk, continue to push visions of a jobless AI utopia.)

The PR rebuttals to what’s been dubbed ‘the AI jobs apocalypse’ are perhaps themselves a response to those falling tech shares, grads booing AI leaders and action like local protests against resource-intensive datacentres. Big tech leaders have been known to get tunnel vision about their vision and then having to play catch-up with wider public sentiment.

Yet it’s also true that ever-changing messaging and predictions are a common feature in a fast-moving scene where new capabilities are constantly emerging. We now have a years-long period to observe AI’s impact in the workplace – this widening lens is creating more clarity around where AI can and can’t provide value. 

What’s ensued is a broader discussion around the merits of a complete AI jobs takeover. But for comms professionals, the need for balanced messaging has always been clear to see.

Mirroring the ‘fully remote work’ prophecies

During the pandemic, many tech companies like Twitter and Meta heralded the idea of a future of fully remote work. Yet at the time, the majority of us could see and feel the desire to reconnect with colleagues in person. As has transpired, a hybrid model between remote and in-person work stuck for the majority, a rebalancing of the scales that typically unfolds after initial booms – so it’s not unreasonable to assume that a similar transition is occurring with AI. 

It’s one reason why, in recent weeks, Snapchat, YouTube, LinkedIn and Substack have all unveiled plans to combat entirely AI-generated content in feeds by favouring more authentic human content. The use of AI to enhance content is still available, but the plan is intended to tackle repetitive swathes of low-quality content. This does raise questions about detecting AI content and whether that’s an effective approach. But it epitomises the flattening out of AI takeover rhetoric. 

The push for complete AI use in the creative world is where the messaging has never really landed, tech leaders seemingly overlooking the innate human qualities that are intrinsic in creatives and the pleasure that comes from doing the work to create something. As the dissemination of ‘AI slop’ proliferates, a consumer pushback is natural, akin to missing human interaction from remote working. 

I recently spoke to a visual effects artist who explained how they created avatars. Their foundational skills and experience are still pivotal to the design process. AI only comes in once that design has been rendered to add any enhancements – in this case, to enhance their likeness and features even further. It feels like this symbiosis between existing human skills and AI capabilities will be applicable in many workspaces. 

Striving for boldness and authenticity

For AI and tech companies operating at startup and scaleup level, the challenge is breaking into the market as a smaller player. This can tempt leaders to overstate their capabilities to attract attention. But this inflated messaging can come back to bite them, with companies who end up ‘AI washing’ losing consumer trust. Yes, there’s a need to be bold. But there’s also a need to be authentic. 

What really matters is finding creative ways of showing the true impact of your tech product or service. It’s typically a case of treading the line between showing where it can deliver value and where human skills and oversight remain essential. Often, companies just need that outside PR eye to understand where their product fits in the market and the messaging they should adhere to. (And that’s even, or especially, applicable for big tech.)