Bloomberg
Sea Ltd’s (冬海) Shopee is cutting hundreds of developer jobs globally, joining rivals across the world in slashing staff while they adopt artificial intelligence (AI) in the workplace and develop new services based on the technology.The reductions, which started this week, amount to about 8 percent of Shopee’s developer workforce, people familiar with the matter said. They affect roles such as quality assurance and more cuts might follow, the people added.
An illustration pictured on Feb. 11 last year shows the Shopee logo.
It was unclear if the move was directly tied to Sea’s forays into AI, but they coincide with a growing debate about the impact of the technology on jobs across the world, as well as discussions around potential “AI-washing” in the wake of major layoffs at Jack Dorsey’s Block Inc as well as Oracle Corp.Many tech companies hired aggressively during the COVID-19 pandemic, when online and digital activity boomed and firms struggled to keep pace.
At the same time, concerns are growing that AI would reduce a reliance on traditional software tools, eroding the lucrative business of enterprise information technology services. While AI has not yet translated into clear productivity gains, many companies are seeking ways to do more with less.Sea, the operator of online retailer Shopee and the Garena gaming platform, is making structural shifts after chief executive officer Forrest Li (李小冬) said that a trillion-dollar market capitalization was possible if his company doubled down on AI. So far, Sea has been embedding AI in small ways such as through product recommendations and seller tools.A Sea spokesperson said the company regularly reviews and adjusts its staffing needs. “These decisions are always made after careful consideration. For colleagues affected by any changes, we are committed to providing support during this period of transition,” the spokesperson said.
