ByteDance Ltd, the company behind TikTok, recently laid off hundreds of employees in Malaysia, sending shockwaves across social media.
The news, shared widely on platform X, included a screenshot posted by user @meinmokhtar, which detailed an anonymous confession about the sudden job cuts.
Dua orang antaq benda sama. Betoi la ni kot. pic.twitter.com/MdjAqqmBc0
— 🔺meingl🔻 (@meinmokhtar) October 9, 2024
The layoffs have affected mainly content moderation workers whose main job was ensuring clips published on the viral platform adhere to community guidelines.
“Signs were there since May”
According to SCMP, the signs had been there for months: In May, TikTok had internally announced plans to downsize global operations and marketing teams.
By June, layoffs had already hit 450 employees in Indonesia, as reported by Bloomberg.
The number of workers has since been confirmed to be in the hundreds, as reported by Reuters, up to 500 instead of early figures which set it at 700.
ByteDance also added that TikTok’s current global user operations team would be dismantled as part of the move.
The remaining employees would be distributed among the company’s trust and safety, marketing, content and product teams, according to a source for US online tech publication The Information.
Employees were terminated via email.
Bytedance offices beijing. Image via officesnapshots
A former ByteDance employee who wishes to remain anonymous shared how employees were informed via email.
The timing was abrupt: at 7 PM, access to work platforms was cut off, and by 8 PM, an email about the layoffs was sent. Many employees, blindsided by the move, learned that their last day would be November 11, as reported by social news portal World of Buzz.
“On October 9 at 7 PM, all queues and permissions were cut off. At 8 PM, an email was sent out about the retrenchment,” the anonymous source shared.
“That’s how we were all treated and informed about the layoffs.”
The lack of prior warning and the impersonal manner in which they were notified has added to the distress, highlighting a growing trend where job cuts are executed with minimal direct communication.
How does Tiktok use AI?
Bytedance office photo in bangkok. Image via work venture
Currently, Tiktok employs “tens of thousands” of workers to moderate user content, in addition to using AI, said CEO Shou Zi Chew in April 2023.
To cut down on the expense, TikTok has been building out its artificial intelligence (AI) tools that can moderate content, which is becoming more precise, more specific and handle a larger scale with content moderation over time.
“80 percent of violative content is now removed by automated technologies,” a Tiktok spokesperson said in a brief statement.
As such, the company is seemingly leaning toward automating content moderation using AI to expedite the process while simultaneously promoting efficiency.
The lay-offs also come as tech giants face increased regulatory pressure in Malaysia, where a surge of malicious content on social media was reported earlier this year, reported ABC News.
Social media platforms including Tiktok had been asked to apply for an operating licence in an effort to tackle rising cybercrime, including online fraud, sexual crimes against children and cyberbullying.
“AI is replacing our jobs”
Bytedance offices beijing. Image via officesnapshots
The news of the mass layoffs has now sparked a heated online debate, with over 600,000 views and comments on X expressing frustration and concern.
Many netizens blamed artificial intelligence (AI), stating that automation is replacing human roles.
“And people still say AI is good for the future,” one user remarked, pointing to recent controversies in the gaming industry where AI is being used to dub voice actors.
Another commenter highlighted the emotional toll of job instability, sharing fears about layoffs impacting those with families, mortgages, and other financial commitments.
““This is my biggest fear. Imagine working in a stable job for years, only to be laid off just like that? You may be able to cope if you’re single, but what if you’ve got a family, children, and bank loans? No way.”
However, some users attempted to bring positivity to the situation, sharing job opportunities for those affected by the layoffs.
“For companies looking for employees, please share links so they can apply. Stay strong, everyone,” a user wrote.
How can human workers become AI-proof?
As companies look to cut costs, AI can seem like an attractive alternative to large human teams. But large numbers of unemployment is also not good for the economy, and can even cause a recession.
While it’s easy to point fingers at AI, companies must also be more sensitive about how they communicate such changes to their loyal employees.
It’s crucial for businesses, especially global MNCs, to consider not only the financial benefits but also the human cost.
After all, the impact of unemployment is not just on those who have been laid off, but on their families, their communities, and even the economy.
Is your job AI-proof?
Write in to hello@inreallife.my with your opinions and you may be featured on In Real Life Malaysia.
Read also: I Was Laid Off By An American Oil Company, And It Was Brutal
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