KPMG’s latest survey finds 52% of U.S. workers now fear AI-driven job displacement, almost double last year’s level. The poll covers more than 2,100 employees across industries and was conducted in June and July. While 85% of companies offer some AI training, 84% of employees say it’s insufficient and less than half make it mandatory. Separate research from Economist Impact shows finance chiefs split almost evenly on whether headcount cuts are the most compelling proof of AI ROI.
The Internal Revenue Service will deploy Salesforce’s Agentforce AI across its Chief Counsel, Taxpayer Advocate Services and Appeals divisions. The system will handle case summarization and search to close taxpayer cases faster. The agency’s workforce shrank from 100,000 to 75,000 this year after Trump administration layoffs, heightening the need for automation. Salesforce says guardrails stop the agents from making final decisions or disbursing funds, ensuring humans stay in charge. The move gives Salesforce a marquee government customer and showcases large-scale AI use in the public sector. A 38-year IRS veteran calls the shift inevitable as the agency modernizes legacy systems and competes with private law firms.
McKinsey has cut 200 tech jobs globally this week, focusing on non-client-facing and tech-support positions. The firm says those duties are being automated as it rolls out new AI tools. Headcount has already fallen from about 45,100 at the end of 2023 to around 40,000 in May, a 10% drop across 18 months. Global Managing Partner Bob Sternfels says the company will keep hiring client-deployed consultants while trimming back-office roles through AI. The layoffs place McKinsey among the 30% of companies its own research says are reducing staff because of AI. Industry reports cited in the article show clients increasingly favor AI-powered, leaner consulting teams over the legacy pyramid model.
