AI Is Replacing People. But You Were Made for More Than Metrics.
As machines rise, we need more than skills. We need soul.
Layoffs are rising. Fast. I predicted this 18 months ago
Not because companies are collapsing— Because they’re replacing humans with machines, with no shame and even less imagination.
In May 2025 alone, Microsoft laid off 7,000 people, citing restructuring to focus on AI.
Real people. Real families. Gone.
And they’re not alone:
AI Layoffs Are No Longer Rare. They’re a Pattern.
Over the past two years, companies across industries have been quietly automating humans out of the equation. Here’s a shortlist of verified AI-driven layoffs from 2023 to 2025:
Microsoft: 7,000 roles cut in 2025 amid AI expansion
IBM: Replacing 7,800 HR/back-office jobs with AI
Google: Multiple rounds tied to ad sales automation
Salesforce: Ongoing layoffs during major AI investments
Duolingo: 10% of contractors cut as part of “AI-first” strategy
Dropbox: 500 laid off in AI reorg
Klarna: AI now handles work equivalent to 700 customer service agents
Ikea: Phasing out call center jobs, replacing with AI bot “Billie”
BlueFocus (China): Terminated designers/writers, replaced with generative AI
Best Buy: Job cuts followed by major AI rollout
Turnitin: 15 laid off; CEO forecasted 20% staff reduction via AI
Chegg: Layoffs amid public pivot to AI-driven education
Dukaan: Replaced 90% of support staff with a chatbot—CEO confirmed
This isn’t speculative.
It’s systemic.
This Isn’t Innovation. It’s Extraction.
We were told AI would free us.
What we’re seeing instead is a growing class of decision-makers who treat humans as a cost to be cut—
and algorithms as the ideal employee.
Machines aren’t the problem. I am an AI optimist.
Soulless, spiritually bankrupt humans using machines to replace people without conscience—
that’s the problem.
And that’s why WorkSoul exists.
What Is WorkSoul?
WorkSoul is not a newsletter.
It’s a manifesto.
A spiritual framework for rehumanising work in the age of automation.
Because burnout isn’t just fatigue—it’s a spiritual wound.
Because professionalism isn’t just polish—it’s resistance to chaos.
Because humans were never meant to be disposable.
We were built to create.
To serve.
To grow.
To matter.
And the soul of work—its meaning, dignity, and human legacy—must not be surrendered to cold code.
We Need More Than Skills. We Need Soul.
Yes, adaptability matters.
Yes, the world is changing.
But the solution isn’t to become more like machines.
The solution is to become more human.
More ethical
More conscious
More committed to building systems that serve people, not just profit
Because if we let machines define what work becomes,
we’re not just losing jobs—we’re losing ourselves.
Why WorkSoul Matters
Machines can work.
Only humans can care.
As Alex Chen, CEO of Verity Systems, puts it:
“In an age where algorithms can optimise every process, it’s easy to forget that the soul of a company isn’t found in its data—it’s found in its people. If we lose sight of our shared humanity, no amount of technological progress will make our work meaningful.”
That’s the heart of WorkSoul.
The future of work must be built on more than speed and scale.
It must be built on character.
On conscience.
On the courage to lead with soul.
If you’re still hungry for meaning in your work, you’re not alone.
If you’re not okay watching human dignity traded for digital efficiency, you’re in the right place.
WorkSoul is for you.
And if you want to explore the ethical implications of AI more deeply,
I also write a companion newsletter:
where we ask: Just because we can automate something… should we?
We can do better.
We must.
Let’s build something that remembers what can’t be automated.
— Kevin L. Baker
Founder,
Kevin Baker Consulting
WorkSoul
You can find me here:
📍 X (Twitter) – @KevinBakerBiz 📍 Threads – @kevinbakerau
📍 Website: www.kevinbakerinc.com 📍 All my links