"IBM Layoffs Target Marketing and Communications Amid AI Push: Report"

IBM is reportedly laying off employees in its marketing and communications division as CEO Arvind Krishna focuses on AI to replace non-customer-facing roles, with plans to suspend or slow hiring for about 26,000 back-office roles that AI and automation can handle. The company disclosed a workforce rebalancing charge during its fourth-quarter earnings report and expects to exit 2024 with roughly the same level of employment as it entered with. Krishna sees enterprise AI as a massive market opportunity for IBM and its channel partners, touting the potential of the Watsonx platform to generate business value for clients.