Earlier this year Paul* discovered via a flurry of media stories that his business group had been targeted for job cuts, alongside a number of other public sector agencies. For him, this was the second time, after his technical management role was restructured in 2024. While that process was difficult enough, the comms this time were highlighting the integration of AI as a cost-saving tool. “They say it’s not about firing people, but hey, my whole team will go.”

For Paul, the timing could not have been worse. He and his partner are expecting a child and recently purchased their first house.

“I’ve worked so hard to stay up to date and relevant, lots of tech training, ironically including AI, and I’ve advocated for the strategy that management roles can be assisted by AI, not replaced by them. So I feel a bit stupid now.”

Exacerbating Paul’s distress has been the very public nature of the cuts. Headlines such as “Plans to replace thousands of public service jobs with AI”, or quotes from politicians like: “The overhaul will lower costs, tighten agency budgets and make government operations more efficient” have felt insulting.

The experience Paul is having has been described as Fobo – fear of becoming obsolete – and it’s a very real fear.

Recent commentary has noted that Fobo is a growing workplace anxiety. People worry their roles will become irrelevant due to technology, and many aren’t sure how to prepare for the........

© The Guardian