Aug 11, 10:15 AM

TCS Cuts 12,000 Jobs as AI Automation Redraws Tech Skills Map

Tata Consultancy Services, India’s largest IT services provider, is cutting more than 12,000 mid- and senior-level positions as it pivots toward skills in artificial intelligence, data science and cybersecurity. The redeployment is intended to accelerate the company’s use of generative AI and other automation technologies across client projects, according to people familiar with the plans. The move highlights a wider overhaul in software development practices. Microsoft estimates that 30% of the code written for its products already comes from AI assistants, while Meta expects the bulk of programming for its open-source Llama models to be machine-generated within the next 18 months. A recent Stack Overflow poll of 49,000 developers found that four in five now rely on AI tools, even as confidence in their accuracy has dropped to 29%. New Delhi has launched a national SOAR initiative aimed at retraining workers for AI-related roles, underscoring government concerns about displacement. Industry analysts say large-scale layoffs such as those announced by TCS are likely to become more common as companies automate routine coding tasks and seek employees who can supervise, validate and secure AI systems.