Kamal Ghorui
General Motors recently announced it’s laying off hundreds of its technology team members. Now, employees affected by the automaker’s latest round of job cuts have reportedly claimed that the company ended their employment with an unexpected 15-minute virtual meeting, a pre-written message from human resources, and an abrupt disconnection. According to a CNBC report, affected GM employees described receiving calendar invites for meetings at unusual times, only to find themselves on short virtual calls where their roles were terminated with little interaction. Describing the experience, a data analyst who worked for more than a decade at GM told the publication, “No appreciation or empathy. No questions. Nothing.”This comes after the company announced it is laying off between 500 and 600 salaried employees, primarily from its information technology division across locations, including Austin, Texas, and Warren, Michigan. The cuts represent more than 10% of GM’s IT workforce and come as the company reshapes its teams around artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities.
What laid-off employees said about how GM conducted the job cut process
Two employees familiar with the process told CNBC that the meetings followed a consistent pattern: a brief introduction, a scripted statement from HR, and immediate termination of access. Workers said there was no opportunity to ask questions or seek clarification during the calls.The layoffs come amid internal restructuring, with some employees noting their teams had already undergone recent changes. Several said they had been encouraged in recent months to incorporate artificial intelligence tools into their daily workflows.A veteran programmer and data scientist at GM told CNBC, “They’re going to push AI for everyday work and everything else. I’ve seen it firsthand. It can make you much more productive as a programmer. It can really help you get more work done, but AI isn’t going to do you any good if you don’t know the business.”While the job cuts may appear to be cost-driven, they align with a broader shift in hiring strategy. GM is actively recruiting talent focused on AI-native development, data engineering, and cloud-based infrastructure, indicating a transition away from traditional IT roles.In a statement, the company said, “GM is transforming its Information Technology organisation to better position the company for the future.”This is what industry watchers refer to as a “skills swap,” as companies fill roles tied to legacy systems with those who build and deploy AI systems in-house. Businesses are looking for employees who can build models, manage data pipelines, and design AI-driven workflows, rather than relying on third-party tools.
