The numbers don’t lie. Amazon announced in October it would cut 14,000 corporate roles, Microsoft has eliminated approximately 15,000 jobs in 2025. HP is cutting between 4,000 and 6,000 jobs. ABN AMRO? 5,200 full-time positions by 2028—nearly a quarter of their total workforce. UPS, Target, Intel, Google, Salesforce, Duolingo, Klarna—the list grows every week.
In total, there have been approximately 55,000 layoffs linked to AI in 2025, and we’ve barely started. This is no longer a theory about the future. This is now.
And maybe you’re next.
The letter that undermines your identity
Imagine: you get a letter. Or a conversation with HR. Your position is being eliminated. The reason? “Reorganization,” “efficiency,” “AI transformation,” “new era.” Pick your euphemism.
But what that letter really says is this: “What you do, a machine can do better.”
And that’s where the real pain lives. Not in the loss of income—though that’s terrifying. But in the loss of something deeper: your sense of worth.
For years, you’ve built your identity around what you do. “I’m a customer service representative.” “I’m a programmer.” “I’m a financial analyst.” You were good at your job. You’d built expertise. You got compliments. You mattered.
And now? Now an algorithm is telling you you’re replaceable.
What AI is actually doing to us
Let’s be honest about what’s happening. The World Economic Forum estimates that by 2030, only one-third of all work will be performed by humans. The rest? AI systems and robots.
This is different from previous technological revolutions. In the past, we automated physical labor—the steam engine, the assembly line, the excavator. People moved into cognitive work. Office work. Knowledge work. The work that made us “human.”
Now AI is automating precisely that work.
At ABN AMRO, departments like customer service, operational teams, and teams conducting anti-money laundering checks are being reduced by approximately 35 percent. At Klarna, AI now does the work of 853 full-time employees. Microsoft’s CEO shared that about 30% of their code is now written by AI.
It feels like an attack on who we are. And it is—but not in the way you think.
The question keeping you awake
If you’re laid off by AI, or if you see it happening around you, one question surfaces that you can’t ignore:
“If a machine can do what I did, who am I now?”
This isn’t a practical question. This is an existential crisis.
Because our society has taught us to derive our value from our work. From our productivity. From what we contribute. “What do you do?” is usually the first question when meeting someone. Not “Who are you?” or “What do you care about?”
And now it turns out that what you did… wasn’t unique. Not irreplaceable. Not as valuable as you thought.
That feels like failure. Like you weren’t good enough. Like you fell behind. Like you’re irrelevant.
But here’s the truth nobody’s telling you: this crisis forces you to ask the right question.
The spiritual question AI poses to us
I use the word “spiritual” deliberately. Not necessarily religious, but fundamental: what is sacred to you?
Not: what is useful? What is productive? What is profitable?
But: what is sacred?
What in your life has value that doesn’t depend on market forces, efficiency, or whether an algorithm can do it better? What would you still do even if nobody paid you for it? What makes your life worthwhile, independent of your resume?
For some, the sacred is in relationships. In being present for family, friends, community.
For others, it’s in creation. In making things with your hands, regardless of outcome.
For still others, it’s in growth. In learning, struggling, constantly rediscovering yourself.
Maybe it’s in beauty. In nature experiences. In moments of connection.
AI can do much. But it can’t determine what’s sacred to you.
It can take your job. It can perform your tasks. It can be more productive, faster, cheaper.
But it can’t determine what your life means. Only you can do that.
And maybe—and this is hard to hear when you’ve just been laid off—maybe this crisis is an invitation. A harsh, painful, unwelcome invitation to discover what’s truly sacred to you.
The hard truth about “new jobs”
“Don’t worry,” say economists and tech CEOs. “New jobs will emerge. That always happened in industrial revolutions.”
Let’s be honest: this is partly true. New roles are indeed emerging. AI trainers. Prompt engineers. Data ethicists. Automation managers.
But here’s the problem: not enough, not fast enough, and not for everyone.
Amazon’s CEO said they “need fewer people to do some of the jobs that are getting done today” and “more people for other kinds of jobs”. Notice that phrasing: “some” and “other.” Not “equal numbers for comparable jobs.”
The math doesn’t work in your favor. If AI can do the work of 853 people (like at Klarna), that doesn’t create 853 new jobs. It creates maybe 10 jobs for people managing the AI.
And those new jobs? They often require different skills. Technical skills. AI literacy. Adaptability. Younger workers often have an advantage.
So what then?
The alternative nobody wants to hear (but maybe should)
Here’s an unpopular thought: maybe you should learn what AI can’t do.
Not another office job. Not “reskill into tech.” But something fundamentally different.
Plumber. When your toilet is clogged, ChatGPT can’t roll up its sleeves.
Electrician. Your datacenter full of AI servers needs someone to install the wiring.
Carpenter. AI can design a house, but can’t build it.
Auto mechanic. Especially for electric vehicles—demand is exploding.
Welder, metalworker, CNC machinist.
This isn’t nostalgic romanticizing of craftwork. This is pragmatism. These jobs:
- Can’t be outsourced to algorithms
- Often pay well (shortages drive up wages)
- Offer tangible satisfaction (you directly see what you’ve made/fixed)
- Are essential (society can’t function without them)
- Provide autonomy (you’re less dependent on corporate bureaucracy)
Yes, this means starting over. Yes, this might mean learning physical work at 35, 45, 55. Yes, your ego has to take a hit.
But if the alternative is continuing to compete in a labor market where you’re becoming increasingly replaceable…
Maybe it’s time to think differently about “career.”
The identity crisis is the gift
This might sound insane if you’ve just lost your job, but stay with me:
The pain you’re feeling is healing.
If your identity was built on your job title, on what you produced, on how productive you were—then that identity was always fragile. You were always vulnerable to market forces, corporate decisions, technological shifts.
AI has only exposed that fragility.
Now you’re forced to answer a deeper question: “Who am I, apart from what I do?”
This isn’t motivational speaker talk. This is survival strategy.
Because if you continue to base your worth on your economic productivity, you lose. AI wins that race. It’s already happened. The numbers don’t lie.
But if you learn who you are apart from your work—what you value, what brings you joy, what you care about, what’s sacred to you—then AI has no power over your identity.
Then it can take your job. But not who you are.
Practical steps for now
That was philosophical. Let’s get practical.
If you still have your job but feel uncertain:
- Diversify your identity today. Start something outside work. A hobby. Volunteer work. Creative project. Something that has value to you, independent of money.
- Build physical skills. Learn to cook. Garden. Fix something. Make something with your hands. These aren’t just backup skills—they remind you that your value is more than cognition.
- Invest in relationships. Not networking for your career. Real relationships. People who care about you for who you are, not what you do.
If you’ve just been laid off:
- Feel the grief. Seriously. You’ve lost something. Give yourself permission to grieve. This isn’t weakness—this is healthy processing.
- Reconsider what you want. This is a reset moment. Do you really want the same kind of work again? Or was this a sign you want something different?
- Consider the trades route. Research plumbing programs, electrician courses, carpentry training. Look at the wages. You might be surprised.
- Protect your sacred. What do you now have more time for that’s truly important? Family? Creativity? Nature? Use this time consciously.
The question that remains
AI will cause mass layoffs. That’s not a prediction anymore—it’s happening now. The numbers are clear.
The question isn’t whether it will affect you. The question is: when it affects you, who are you then?
If your answer depends on your job title, you’re vulnerable.
If your answer depends on what makes you productive, you’re vulnerable.
If your answer depends on your economic value, you’re vulnerable.
But if your answer depends on what’s sacred to you—what you value independent of market dynamics—then AI has no power over your core.
It can take your job. It can take over your work. It can automate your tasks.
But it can’t determine what your life means.
Only you can do that.
And maybe this—despite all the pain, fear, and uncertainty—is the most important thing this AI revolution can teach us.
Not how to become more competitive.
But who we are when we stop merely competing.
Are you in the middle of this struggle? Did you lose your job to AI or are you afraid it will happen? I’d love to hear your story. Leave a comment!
If this resonated with you, I’d be grateful for a coffee. It keeps these deep dives sustainable: COFFEE
Tags: #AI, #layoffs, #job-loss, #unemployment, #AI-automation, #future-of-work, #career-change, #meaning, #purpose, #identity-crisis, #trades, #blue-collar-work, #spirituality, #self-worth, #existential-questions, #workplace-automation, #AI-impact, #reskilling, #career-transition, #sacred-work
