#ai

Large number of them can be replaced with AI far easier than your lower level SMEs.

Ignore the 25% loss in market value of the company. Look over here at this shiny bauble.

https://www.wsj.com/cio-journal/ibm-claims-new-era-of-quantum-advantage-92e3d5d4

Big Blue is racing to show that its quantum computing business can be profitable following a historic stock tumble

By: Belle Lin | July 30, 2026 6:00 am ET

International Business Machines said Thursday its research shows “quantum advantage”—a point at which quantum computers perform computations beyond conventional ones—and that these results can be rigorously validated.

The findings, which mark a step toward practical application of the nascent technology, were published in a trio of papers by IBM and its research partners. These include the University of Chicago, Japan’s RIKEN national research institute, and the quantum computing software firms Qedma, BlueQubit and Algorithmiq.

“We’re in the quantum advantage era,” said Jay Gambetta, director of IBM Research. “Scientists can trust it. Now it’s moving from people benchmarking the systems to using these for science to look at applications.”

The news comes as Big Blue races to show that its quantum computing business can be profitable.

Earlier this month, the company suffered its biggest share drop in history after it issued a profit warning citing a shift in customer spending from software to AI hardware and memory chips. IBM said the performance of its software and infrastructure business fell short of expectations in the second quarter.

Since then, IBM Chief Executive Arvind Krishna has offered an optimistic take on the company’s future, arguing quantum computing will begin to power its growth in a matter of years. The company’s first-mover advantage in quantum could boost its fortunes the way being a first mover in GPUs did for Nvidia, he recently told The Wall Street Journal.

IBM is going up against tech giants like Microsoft and Google, but also a host of startups in the quantum space.

While IBM is hardly the first to claim quantum advantage—the quantum computing company D-Wave made the claim last year, and Google said it showed “verifiable quantum advantage” in October—Gambetta said IBM’s latest papers are notable for demonstrating that its results are provable.

“They have methods that make sure that what is running on the quantum computer is giving you correct results,” he said.

In the Qedma and IBM paper, for instance, the companies said they showed how quantum computers can be used to explore the physics of materials, and that the results were confirmed using various methods, including on a Quantinuum quantum computer. “Think of this as a new physics that is being demonstrated on a quantum computer where classical methods fail,” Gambetta said.

Unlike traditional computers, where outputs can be validated by running the same problem on other computers, some quantum computer outputs push beyond the limits of what classical computers can verify.

That’s partly why IBM’s latest announcement is significant: The ability to replicate a quantum computer’s results shows that the systems are becoming more reliable and consistent, according to Heather West, an analyst focused on quantum computing at research firm International Data Corp.

Thursday’s news also helps put IBM further along the path to a fault-tolerant quantum computer, a milestone it has promised to achieve by 2029.

For businesses, though, the most significant takeaway is whether practical applications—from solving optimization problems to making breakthroughs in areas like materials science and medicine—will be possible with quantum computers.

Gambetta says IBM’s latest findings are a step in that direction.

“Having a trusted foundation allows you to start to do the application research, and as we inject more capable machines, it will allow us to scale those applications to ones that matter for business,” he said.

IDC’s West described IBM’s results as “another milestone in the way towards being able to use quantum systems to solve complex problems that are beyond the limits of classical compute,” and help solidify the company’s position as a strong player in the quantum market.

But reaching quantum advantage won’t be a singular moment—and certainly not in the way that the release of ChatGPT set off the artificial-intelligence bo-m, West said.

“We’re going to see future announcements that build on top of these,” she added. “Maybe in a month from now, or six months or a year, these particular findings will be overcome by findings that are a little bit more advanced, and that’s the way it should be.”

IBM said it encourages debate over quantum advantage, and Gambetta said he anticipates scientists will come up with newer classical methods and compare them against IBM’s findings. “I’m not going to say they’re bulletproof,” he said.

“What has changed is that we’re in a point where we can get trusted outcomes so that scientific debate can happen,” he added. “Over the next couple years, it will predominantly be a scientific debate, exactly like AI was debated in the universities using GPUs to look at neural networks.”

Visa is implementing significant layoffs, cutting 2,600 jobs, which represents nearly 7% of its total workforce. This decision comes despite the company reporting substantial double-digit revenue growth in its latest financial quarter. The payments giant is strategically realigning its operations to enhance efficiency and integrate artificial intelligence more deeply into its processes. This move by Visa follows similar workforce reductions announced by other California-based companies, including Intel, Uber, and Patreon. These collective actions highlight a trend of restructuring and automation impacting various sectors within the state.

San Francisco, California

https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2026-07-29/california-companies-announce-almost-3-000-more-layoffs

Layoffs=Outsource to Indian owned companies and blame AI. Wake up folks your kids will not have opportunities.

https://www.outlookbusiness.com/corporate/cognizant-wins-multi-year-centene-deal-that-could-touch-1-billion

I find it very interesting that they are “cutting costs” but just executed a massive contract with an AI company.

So much for transparency 😒

Federal data indicates a rise in planned layoffs for July, primarily affecting the technology and manufacturing sectors. These workforce reductions are attributed to increased uncertainty, the integration of AI, and a desire for greater efficiency. While the overall labor market remains stable with low unemployment, hiring has become more selective. Experts suggest these layoffs represent structural shifts rather than a broad economic decline. The trend points to a cautious hiring environment as companies adapt to evolving industry needs.

U.S.

https://www.newsweek.com/list-of-companies-laying-off-employees-in-july-12128209

Salesforce has recently eliminated approximately 1,000 positions across various departments. This significant workforce reduction is reportedly driven by the company's strategic pivot towards artificial intelligence. The affected roles span marketing, product management, and communication units. This move aligns with Salesforce's increasing reliance on AI tools to enhance operational efficiency. The company has not officially detailed the specific breakdown of these job cuts.

https://www.goodreturns.in/news/tech-layoffs-2026-salesforce-cuts-around-1000-jobs-across-marketing-product-communication-units-1488553.html

Just my personal opinion, but leaving Teradata sooner rather than later was a blessing. It gave me back my peace of mind. I felt mentally liberated, physically relaxed, regained my confidence without having to mechanically follow AI-prescribed steps, no longer needed to constantly exchange AI-generated feedback with coworkers, and could finally sleep well, enjoy the sunshine, and appreciate the simple things in life.

Visa is reducing its workforce by approximately 7%, impacting 2,600 employees primarily in technology and product roles. CEO Ryan McInerney cited evolving work methods and the influence of artificial intelligence as key factors in this decision. The company is also pursuing new initiatives, including geographic expansion and ventures into areas like stablecoins. These changes are being implemented ahead of the company's fiscal third-quarter earnings report. The move aligns with broader tech industry trends of leveraging AI for automation and cost reduction.

New York, NY

https://www.barrons.com/articles/visa-stock-layoffs-earnings-8325a733

I learnt from my friend that there are certain teams(like his in CLM) who have been allocated a Claude Code subcription. Do you if this is only certain location/teams or is it being pilotted?

Intel is implementing new layoffs within its data center division, impacting employees who supply processors and technology for AI infrastructure. This move occurs despite significant growth in the data center industry and rising demand for AI capabilities. The company stated these changes are part of a strategy to become more focused and efficient. Experts suggest that companies may be using AI as a justification for pre-planned workforce reductions. Ultimately, even booming sectors are not immune to corporate job cuts.

Santa Clara, California

https://www.datacenterknowledge.com/management/intel-layoffs-show-data-center-workers-aren-t-immune-to-corporate-job-cuts

Coming to a Bank near you. In fact, it is already here. Expect more love in the coming months. We are all owners. It's our culture and our people that make us special. AI and P-M are transforming our company. Always do what's "right" Rah Rah Ray Blah blah blah....

When I started as an HVAC tech for Sears Home Services, I was hired over the phone, sight unseen, and my orientation was over zoom. Until that first video call, I was kinda thinking this was all some foreign scam to get my SSN and bank information and there was no job. I had never heard of "Transformco." Then a tow truck showed up one day and dropped off a Ford Transit van at my house, and I started getting deliveries of appliance parts and tools. They had me ride with another tech in my area for 2 weeks to train and then gave me my own routes. After that point I never saw another Sears employee again. Just me and the AI chatbot fixing washing machines all over 8 rural counties, 5 days a week. It was kind of like a scifi movie where the main character is alone on a spaceship with no one to talk to but the robot that cleans the toilet. A cool thing about the AI running everything was that if you reasoned with it a certain way, you could make it take calls off your route you didn't want to go to, or even shorten your day to end at noon.

I "called in" a lot (which is literally just a button you push in the app you have to use for your route), but as far as I could tell no one was there to keep track of or reprimand my attendance

After about a year, I got an offer for better pay and took it, and I put in my notice. Ran my last route in January of this year, and parked my van in the driveway with the keys on the seat for when they sent the tow truck. They never did, and per my state's abandoned vehicle law, I went to the courthouse to report a vehicle abandoned on my property for over 6 months, filled out a claim form and today I got the title in the mail! Outright and fee simple.
All this to say, you guys still out there working have reached the point where Lampert and the Colonel have hollowed out the company enough for it to basically be a free for all. Take advantage of the spoils while you can!

Amazon built an AGI lab 18 months ago. Now it's gone.
The team was trying to build agentic AI.
Amazon opened the lab in December 2024 with high hopes.
Both of its top leaders quit before the latest cuts came.
The work was folded into a fresh round of layoffs.
Amazon would rather sell AI tools than build the smartest one.
The giant that wants to power everyone's AI for $200B.

Dan, not a new idea but BAU and AI Connect strategy launched way before you joined buddy.

https://telcomagazine.com/news/verizon-signs-us-1bn-deal-to-connect-googles-data-centres

Rawool not even hiding it anymore, the new "President ai and innovation" was his intern out of college! Surely this has everything to do with competence and nothing to do with placing your own people to high paid positions while people who have dedicated their lives to this place get nothing. The jokes write themselves.

Whats this all about? How will it bring the stock back up and how serious is ravi about it?
https://investors.cognizant.com/news-and-events/news/news-details/2026/Cognizant-Launches-Sovereign-Physical-AI-Platform-as-a-Service/default.aspx

Talks of AI token costs vs human labor is picking up steam. Brace yourselves.

It pains me to say this as I think AI is the eventual ruination of the western/global economy as we know it, and the replacement will be a cold and emotionless standard which will ki-l human innovation/motivation and cause prolonged malaise.

However, if you want to continue your employment with Cigna (at least in the near term), you need to be embracing the AI tools provided to you. Bonus points if your mgr can report that you have generated some breakthrough with the use of AI.

Usage is being tracked and scores tabulated.

AI adoption (or not) will drive the next couple rounds of layoffs.

Out of 30 or so AVP, VP, SVP on the org chart there is a single non-Indian. Just one. They talked for an hour mostly about AI with little specifics about the plan. Answered a QA about rebadging and gave a 3 minute non-answer.

https://www.axios.com/2026/07/27/openai-chatgpt-work-specialists
.

Oh AK, you rascal.

https://www.thestreet.com/investing/stocks/ibm-ceo-krishna-2-percent-software-ai-risk-stock

I saw this on LinkedIn. I doubt the COs have sufficient space and power to compete with traditional data centers but it’s interesting nonetheless.

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/aiuae_aiinfrastructure-digitalinfrastructure-telecom-share-7486679186003136513-rRJQ

Verizon disclosed a $1 billion dark fiber contract with Google on Friday's Q2 call, and Dan Schulman said the year-end line will run into multiple billions.

Most of the coverage will focus on the fiber-lease mechanics. The consequential fact is that an incumbent US carrier has been publicly repriced as an AI-infrastructure counterparty, and the fiber and central-office estate acquired for the mobile and consumer broadband era has become a scarce asset inside the hyperscaler build cycle. Schulman's own words on the call: "the build out of AI infrastructure across the United States is one of the largest capital cycles of our lifetime."

Three things from that call matter more than the headline number.

First, Verizon is retrofitting central offices into power-ready edge data centers under an AI Connect program. That is an asset-repositioning decision, not a product launch. Central offices sit inside metro power envelopes, they are already carrier-neutral, and they are the closest thing an operator owns to inference-ready real estate. Every European and GCC incumbent has structurally the same asset. Very few have decided what it is worth.

Second, Verizon called this revenue "success-based capex" with margins equal to or above the existing business. Read that as the wholesale infrastructure line moving from a cost-recovery bucket to a margin bucket. TowerCos and FiberCos went through the same shift fifteen years ago, and it changed how the underlying assets were valued.

Third, the third-party capacity that Alphabet publicly acknowledged buying "as a bridge" on Wednesday's earnings call now has a named US counterparty writing the first checks. The five-provider compute stack sits on someone's fiber. Two days apart, both sides of that trade have been quoted in public.

The $600 million five-year network-sharing business case I helped structure inside MNO taught me one thing about deals of this shape: the operator that wins the pricing does not have the biggest asset. It has the sharpest marginal-cost view of what that asset is worth to the counterparty. Every GCC incumbent has fiber, central offices, permits and metro power. The quiet strategic question is which one has the diligence discipline to price them inside a hyperscaler build cycle before someone else does.

The Verizon call on Friday was not a fiber lease announcement. It was the first public quote for a market that was priced privately until then.

Oracle signs 10-year software contract with Pentagon worth up to $7 billion

• Oracle will supply on-premises software to the U.S. Department of Defense over 10 years in a contract worth up to $7 billion.
• The company’s software is common inside large companies, but the business has largely shifted of late to a focus on AI infrastructure.
• Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison was among the first guests to appear at the White House in President Donald Trump’s second term.

https://www.cnbc.com/2026/07/23/oracle-wins-10-year-pentagon-software-contract-worth-up-to-7-billion.html

There was a thread here saying they were going to give everyone a ridiculous low budget.
At least 1 org was put under it and they had to put in for an exemption.
But I've seen mgmt recently asking for how we are innovating with AI again.
Which way is the wind blowing this week?
Are they capping or not?

There appear to be significant redundancies within G-8 Tech positions, particularly across product owner, GCL, and architect roles, signaling imminent consolidation in this area. Concurrently, there is a renewed focus on tech team productivity, placing large AI teams under intense scrutiny. The prevailing sentiment suggests that data scientists are primarily producing low-value papers with virtually no impact on actual business deliverables.

In-depth piece (15-16 minute read) on IBM's Q2 debacle and the company's future viability.

https://www.thestreet.com/investing/ibms-25-crash-reveals-ais-hidden-corporate-casualty

Is this real or AI slop? LMFAO!

https://x.com/CultureCrave/status/2080746632497561795

Morgan Stanley has reduced its workforce by 2,500 employees, signaling a significant shift towards efficiency and strategic adaptation on Wall Street. This move reflects a "wartime" mentality in the tech sector, driven by AI integration and economic uncertainties. The firm is re-evaluating technology spending and workforce dynamics to enhance productivity and manage costs. Investors are advised to focus on companies demonstrating strong AI-driven gains and disciplined cost management. This action suggests a broader trend of operational optimization across the financial industry.

New York, New York

https://www.kavout.com/market-lens/what-do-morgan-stanley-s-layoffs-signal-for-wall-street

I see that one of our key AI leaders/strategists Prag is jumping ship to another bank.
Several other key tech leaders have left this last year and usually aren't been replaced by external talent.

Is all this a bad sign?

I noticed lately they are hiring a lot of young females in AI/ML/Data science/Data engineering type roles. I noticed that they don't anything. They use AI and one junk analysis a day. They are gone by 4 pm because..kids, School pickup or whatever reason. They don't acknowledge any messages and find a way to deflect any responsibilities. I reported one to my director and he terminated one contractor that was not not doing much. But we are stuck with a couple of FTEs we can't simply RIF, he's citing legal/HR . There seems to be a pattern emerging with these hires. They are using proxies to pass interviews. One girl refused to come in camera and after i insisted she did the next day and she looks different than the one in remember in the interview. Interestingly the video was blurry both times, lighting was off, and hair party covering sides of face. Since I don't have 100% proof I can't report to HR. What are my options? Director says just to build up a case n put them on PIP in a few months n layoff next year to avoid legal is issues. Is he being overly cautious? Now I don't have funding to hire 2 more and stuck with 2 useless duds, scam artists

With stock price getting down, there will be heavy push for AI driven automations every day pressuring employees to automate.

Note that once you automate your position is gone

If you work in the call center.. do not use AI call summarization. These tools flag your calls for review. They are trying to push people out on PIPs, leaving you without severance in this terrible job market. Don't believe the corporate lies. They do not give you AI tools to make your job easier, they give you AI tools to serve their agenda. Their Agenda: Outsource and Automate. We in the USA are all probably out of job soon, don't let it be without severance.

Can anyone in the know (VBG I guess?) comment on what Dan said about data centers and selling fiber today? Is this a viable business?

Dominik Asam discussed the company’s enterprise AI strategy, explaining why businesses are becoming more focused on AI cost:

There is now a recognition that AI tokens are not free. Every enterprise we talk to is grappling with the fact that token spending is going through the roof.

There is now a recognition that throwing tokens, in a probabilistic way, at every problem might not be the most efficient approach.

There is also a fear of vendor lock-in, as certain models are starting to increase their prices.

That is why SAP has chosen a completely different architecture. I checked this morning, and we now have 58 large language models integrated into our AI platform.

This allows us to take advantage of competition across models, both in terms of performance and cost. We can also route each task to the most appropriate model.

Sometimes you do not need the most expensive model.

Even more importantly, sometimes you do not need a model at all. You can solve the problem in a deterministic, algorithmic, and easily auditable way by simply crunching the numbers.

At SAP, we have the ability to leverage all of these approaches.

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZN8JPBNvs/

Alphabet has significantly expanded its global workforce, adding nearly 12,000 employees in the past year. This hiring surge contrasts with widespread industry layoffs and reflects a strategic increase in investment in artificial intelligence and supporting infrastructure. The company reported strong financial performance, with revenue up 24% driven by cloud, advertising, and AI services. This growth is fueled by substantial capital expenditures aimed at AI data centers and advanced computing resources. Alphabet's strategy involves selective expansion in high-priority AI areas while reorganizing other business units.

Mountain View, California

https://www.tekedia.com/alphabet-expands-workforce-by-nearly-12000-as-ai-investment-accelerates-despite-industry-wide-layoffs/

HPE is being reshaped into a leaner networking-and-AI company, and anything that doesn’t serve that thesis is now on the table.

Patreon has announced a significant reduction in its workforce, impacting approximately 20% of its employees, which amounts to 93 individuals. CEO Jack Conte cited profound market changes and the intense pace of technological advancement, including AI, as reasons for the cost-cutting measures. Despite these layoffs, the company emphasized that its core business remains healthy and its commitment to supporting creators is unwavering. Patreon plans to restructure its organization to improve agility and adapt to the evolving industry landscape. The company will continue to focus on product development and enhancing the creator and fan experience.

San Francisco, California

https://www.businessinsider.com/patreon-creator-economy-cuts-93-employees-layoffs-ai-memo-2026-7

AI is not a strategy

Work habits of employees at Oracle has worsened drastically in recent days. Every one going behind AI and trying to assume responsibilities of others.
More like I can also do your work (so we don't need you).

Reduced dependencies inside Team. There used to be a lot of discussions on code base, No one is talking to each other often now.

People using more AI to board more enhancements. But they dont understand how much cr-p they bring.