<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> <rss version="2.0"> <channel> <title>Remote IT Jobs | Find Remote Tech Jobs Worldwide</title> <link>https://www.remoteitjobs.app</link> <description>Discover top remote IT jobs from leading tech companies. Search software development, DevOps, cybersecurity, and tech leadership positions. Apply to work-from-home tech jobs today.</description> <lastBuildDate>Thu, 12 Feb 2026 02:34:46 GMT</lastBuildDate> <docs>https://validator.w3.org/feed/docs/rss2.html</docs> <generator>https://github.com/jpmonette/feed</generator> <language>en</language> <image> <title>Remote IT Jobs | Find Remote Tech Jobs Worldwide</title> <url>https://www.remoteitjobs.app/images/logo-512.png</url> <link>https://www.remoteitjobs.app</link> </image> <copyright>All rights reserved 2024, RemoteITJobs.app</copyright> <category>Bitcoin News</category> <item> <title><![CDATA[Unlock £110k: The Rise of Empathy Engineers and Other Confusing Tech Jobs You're Missing Out On]]></title> <link>https://www.remoteitjobs.app/article/unlock-110k-the-rise-of-empathy-engineers-and-other-confusing-tech-jobs-youre-missing-out-on</link> <guid>unlock-110k-the-rise-of-empathy-engineers-and-other-confusing-tech-jobs-youre-missing-out-on</guid> <pubDate>Wed, 11 Feb 2026 20:15:12 GMT</pubDate> <description><![CDATA[## The Mystery of Empathy Engineers British job seekers are missing out on **lucrative tech sector contracts** because they don't understand what the roles actually entail—or even believe they exist. According to new research from the business financial platform Tide, this confusion is costing applicants opportunities in high-paying positions. ### What Is an Empathy Engineer? An empathy engineer is someone who **considers the social, cultural, and emotional factors** that influence how society interacts with technology. This role focuses on **blending the human perspective with tech-driven problem-solving**, aiming to create more meaningful and inclusive digital experiences. - **Salary Potential**: Up to £110,000 per annum. - **Current Listings**: As of now, LinkedIn isn't advertising any openings for empathy engineers, though there was one expired listing for a role in gaming. ### The Gaming Example In gaming, an empathy engineer would be responsible for **implementing game mechanics, narratives, and experiences** that foster empathy, emotional intelligence, and social awareness among players. The goal is to promote **meaningful connections and understanding within virtual worlds**. ## Other Confusing Job Titles Empathy engineer is just one of several **new and bewildering job titles** emerging in the tech industry. Others include: - **Prompt Engineer**: Specializes in crafting and optimizing prompts for AI systems. - **Belonging Manager**: Focuses on embedding an inclusive culture within organizations to ensure employees feel valued and heard. - **Skills Architect**: Designs and structures skill development programs. - **Augmented Intelligence Officer**: Works on enhancing human decision-making with AI tools. ### The Belonging Manager Role A belonging manager's role is to **embed an inclusive culture at the heart of the organization**, ensuring employees feel valued, included, and heard. This position can offer up to £80,000 per year, but 80% of survey participants had no idea what it involved. ## Why the Confusion? As the job market adapts to **rapid growth and changing needs**, new roles are emerging that have **no previous parallels in the workplace**. This lack of historical context makes it difficult for applicants to understand what these jobs entail or how to qualify for them. ### Employer Responsibility There's a debate about whether employers are creating **silly, off-putting names** for what might otherwise be ordinary jobs. This branding can deter potential candidates who are unfamiliar with the terminology. ## Key Takeaways for Job Seekers - **Stay Informed**: Keep an eye on emerging roles in the tech sector, even if they sound unfamiliar. - **Research Thoroughly**: Look beyond the job title to understand the actual responsibilities and required skills. - **Leverage Experience**: Many of these new roles prioritize practical experience over formal qualifications, so highlight relevant past work. ### Do's and Don'ts - **Do Say**: "As someone experienced at building consistent frameworks that are supported, accountable, and impactful, I am the very model of a modern empathy engineer." - **Don't Say**: "Can I empathize from home?" By understanding these evolving roles, you can position yourself to take advantage of **high-paying opportunities** in the tech industry, even if the job titles seem confusing at first glance.]]></description> <author>contact@remoteitjobs.app (RemoteITJobs.app)</author> <category>empathyengineer</category> <category>techjobs</category> <category>careergrowth</category> <category>remotework</category> <category>innovation</category> <enclosure url="https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/f3c438dd82aa4022fcc5f58234430390ded049ff/490_0_4686_3749/master/4686.jpg?width=1200&height=630&quality=85&auto=format&fit=crop&precrop=40:21,offset-x50,offset-y0&overlay-align=bottom%2Cleft&overlay-width=100p&overlay-base64=L2ltZy9zdGF0aWMvb3ZlcmxheXMvdGctZGVmYXVsdC5wbmc&enable=upscale&s=43bb6c240a32f2dc5fbbfde56e34ac72" length="0" type="image/jpg"/> </item> <item> <title><![CDATA[2026 US Job Market Report: What to Expect from the First Jobs Data of the Year]]></title> <link>https://www.remoteitjobs.app/article/2026-us-job-market-report-what-to-expect-from-the-first-jobs-data-of-the-year</link> <guid>2026-us-job-market-report-what-to-expect-from-the-first-jobs-data-of-the-year</guid> <pubDate>Tue, 10 Feb 2026 13:15:13 GMT</pubDate> <description><![CDATA[We’ll get a first look Wednesday at the state of the US job market as 2026 kicked off, as well as a clearer picture of hiring in 2025. The Bureau of Labor Statistics is set to release the January jobs report at 8:30 am ET Wednesday. The crucial employment snapshot is slightly delayed because of the brief government shutdown and will show whether the trajectory improved for the US labor market, which has been stuck in a low-hire and low-fire lull. Last year, the economy posted its weakest year of job gains outside of a recession since 2003. The year ended with the economy adding 50,000 jobs in December (roughly matching the average monthly gain for the year) and unemployment dipping to 4.4%, the BLS reported. “Many workers feel stuck in their careers or feel frozen out of the job market,” said Daniel Zhao, chief economist at employment site Glassdoor. The all-important churn needed for a healthy labor market has slowed considerably, and there are more people searching for jobs than are available. The January jobs report will also include a series of critical revisions (namely, the annual benchmark revision) and statistical modeling adjustments that not only will provide a fuller look at past employment trends but also could very well shape our current and future view of the labor market. There’s going to be a lot to unpack Wednesday, so here’s a cheat sheet to help get up to speed: ## What are the expectations for hiring and unemployment in January? In short: Expect to see more of the same. Heading into this year, economists said monthly job gains could hover around that 50,000-a-month range. The recent batch of labor market data (both public and private) indicated that there’s a high likelihood that job growth was tepid, unemployment remained subdued and that health care remained a primary driver of overall hiring. There’s a possibility that seasonal and weather-related factors could result in a stronger-than-expected reading for January: Weaker holiday hiring has meant fewer post-holiday layoffs, and unseasonably warm weather during the early part of last month could have bolstered employment in industries like construction. Economists’ consensus estimates are for job gains of 80,000 last month and for the jobless rate to stay at 4.4%, according to FactSet. ## Why has job growth been so weak? There is a combination of factors at play. On the supply side, Baby Boomers are aging and retiring, population growth has slowed, and there’s been a sharp reduction in immigration and an increase in deportations. On the demand side: Large employers are whittling down their ranks after over-hiring during the pandemic; high levels of uncertainty – particularly around the Trump administration’s sudden, shifting and sweeping domestic policy changes – have clouded businesses’ decision-making and stifled hiring; firms have shifted some investments away from hiring and toward equipment and technology (including artificial intelligence) to shore up productivity; and a high-cost environment alongside steep tariffs, federal funding cutbacks and aggressive immigration enforcement have negatively affected some businesses. Joe Brusuelas, senior economist at RSM US, highlighted a few of those factors when pushing back on White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett’s claim Monday that subdued job gains are primarily the result of lower population figures and higher productivity. “The idea that slower hiring is simply a function of long-term demographics is both unsatisfactory and an attempt to distract from immigration and trade policies – see the 72,000 decline in manufacturing jobs last year that will likely look worse following the upcoming benchmark revision,” Brusuelas said in a statement. ## What is the benchmark revision? Federal data is fluid and frequently subject to change as more detailed and accurate information becomes readily available. The BLS’ monthly jobs report is meant to provide a higher-frequency look at employment trends, but that timeliness comes with some cost to accuracy. To get the monthly employment snapshot, the BLS surveys about 121,000 US employers, accounting for 631,000 work sites (covering more than a quarter of overall employment). Those respondents are given three opportunities to report their payroll gains and losses for any given month. Every year, the BLS undertakes a process aimed at providing a near-complete employment county by squaring up the monthly survey estimates with data drawn from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages program, which covers about 95% of US jobs. The QCEW provides a more comprehensive and accurate read on the number of businesses, employees and wages throughout the country because that data is derived from state unemployment insurance tax records most employers are required to file. Given that process, the QCEW comes with a significant lag: The data for the third quarter of last year won’t be released until next month. ## What did the preliminary benchmark revision show? That was the preliminary benchmark revision, an annual first-look estimate that coincides with the release of the first-quarter QCEW data. In September, the preliminary revision inferred that the US economy likely added about 911,000 fewer jobs than the jobs reports initially estimated for the 12-month period running from April 2024 through March 2025. Spread out, that’s about 76,000 fewer jobs per month. If the preliminary estimate were to pan out, it would essentially cut the posted job gains for that period in half. ## Is this revision unusual? No, the process of benchmarking and these significant adjustments to past employment are not some proof of nefarious data-related activity as has been unjustifiably claimed by President Donald Trump and others. In fact, they’re the exact opposite. For one, this is a process that’s been conducted by the BLS in some shape or form for 90 years. To quote former BLS commissioner Erica Groshen, it’s “not a bug; it’s a feature.” These and other revisions are a reflection of how a transparent and rules-driven organization accounts and adjusts for new information as it becomes available, said Groshen and other former BLS officials in past interviews with CNN. If it were to hold – and history has shown that the final revision is smaller – it would be the biggest downward revision on record (which go back to 1979), BLS data shows. ## What is the final benchmark revision expected to be? Economists expect that the final adjustment could be a downward revision of 700,000 jobs. This time last year, the final annual benchmarked figure for the 12 months ending in March 2024 was a negative 589,000 jobs seasonally adjusted (-598,000 not accounting for seasonality). That’s significantly narrower than the preliminary estimate of -818,000 jobs, which still seems to stick in some minds, even though it was not the final figure. The final tally of nearly negative 600,000 was the largest downward revision since March 2009 (which was previously the largest on record, at minus 902,000) and steeper than the downward revision of 489,000 jobs for the 12-month period ended March 2019 (during Trump’s first term). By the way, for context, the adjustments amount to a sliver (tenths of a percentage point) of overall employment. Still, such large swings, positive or negative, typically occur in times when the economy is suddenly changing in volumes that seemingly well-tuned models aren’t able to pick up as quickly. The factors likely contributing to the upcoming downward revision include: declining survey response rates; the BLS’ modeling of business creation (called the birth-death model) being thrown out of whack by the pandemic and overestimating job gains; and immigration-related measurement gaps. “This has been a half-decade with enormous changes to the economy – both the pandemic and the beginning and end of the immigration surge,” said Jed Kolko, an economist and former Under Secretary of Commerce for Economic Affairs during the Biden administration. ## And what are statistical model adjustments? The benchmark revision – which ultimately affects 21 months of not-seasonally adjusted data from April of the prior year through the following year’s December – isn’t the only adjustment in this upcoming release. Because the BLS establishment surveys existing employers, they miss businesses that just opened or closed. BLS crafted the “birth-death” model to capture these dynamics. BLS has fine-tuned its birth-death model and will adjust past data produced under the prior model. The agency also traditionally updates its seasonal adjustment models with each benchmark revision, resulting in the past five years of seasonally adjusted data being affected.]]></description> <author>contact@remoteitjobs.app (RemoteITJobs.app)</author> <category>jobmarket</category> <category>economy</category> <category>employment</category> <category>bls</category> <category>2026</category> <enclosure url="https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/ap26006831783482.jpg?c=16x9&q=w_800,c_fill" length="0" type="image/jpg"/> </item> <item> <title><![CDATA[AI in Agriculture: Not Replacing Farmers, But Redistributing Risk - What You Need to Know]]></title> <link>https://www.remoteitjobs.app/article/ai-in-agriculture-not-replacing-farmers-but-redistributing-risk-what-you-need-to-know</link> <guid>ai-in-agriculture-not-replacing-farmers-but-redistributing-risk-what-you-need-to-know</guid> <pubDate>Mon, 09 Feb 2026 20:15:12 GMT</pubDate> <description>< ## AI is Automating Tasks, Not Whole Jobs Our previous research with colleagues from CSIRO’s Data61 explored the future of Australia’s agricultural workforce, showing how digital and automated technologies are changing how farm work is done rather than removing the need for people. Demand is growing for skills in **decision-making, oversight and technology management**, particularly as labour shortages persist. However, adoption of advanced technology in farming remains limited, especially among small producers. It’s a similar story internationally. For example, in the United States, only around **25%** of farms used advanced technology by 2019, with adoption of automatic steering and machinery guidance systems more common on larger operations. These technologies automate specific tasks and can reduce fatigue, but they do not eliminate farm operators. Across other industries, evidence from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) shows about **60% of jobs** in advanced economies are exposed to AI. Separate findings from the OECD indicate AI exposure is primarily at the task level, with only about **27–28%** of employment currently in occupations at high risk of full automation. ## Uneven Gains The productivity promise of AI and other types of digitalisation in agriculture is genuine. In practice, however, these gains are uneven. Evidence shows adoption and benefits vary widely by farm size, crop type, region, and access to capital, data and skills. It also risks leaving some farmers behind due to poor connectivity and limited digital access, constraining their use of data-driven and AI-enabled tools. ## Risk and Reward This is where the core tension lies. When AI-supported decisions succeed, efficiency improves. When they fail, humans carry the consequences. For example, if an irrigation system mistimes watering, the farmer bears the yield loss or soil damage. If a particular crop disease is missed, a whole season’s income may be wiped out. AI systems do not absorb financial loss, regulatory scrutiny or reputational damage. Farmers and advisers do. This dynamic is central to our research through the Australian government’s Soil CRC program on how easy it is for farmers to actually adopt these new technologies. That work shows farmers assess technologies not just on technical performance, but on how they affect business risk, autonomy and accountability. ## The Future of Farming AI will continue to reshape Australian agriculture. The most important question is not whether it replaces farm jobs, but who carries the risk when AI becomes part of everyday decisions. If AI is designed to genuinely support human judgement, backed by shared accountability and proper assurance, it can make farming safer, more resilient and more skilled. If not, it risks quietly increasing exposure for those already operating at the edge of uncertainty. Productivity gains are possible. But they will only be realised and socially accepted when AI systems are designed not just to optimise outcomes, but to protect the people who live with the consequences.]]></description> <author>contact@remoteitjobs.app (RemoteITJobs.app)</author> <category>ai</category> <category>agriculture</category> <category>automation</category> <category>risk</category> <category>productivity</category> <enclosure url="https://images.theconversation.com/files/716964/original/file-20260209-56-725sux.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&rect=0%2C365%2C5184%2C2592&q=45&auto=format&w=1356&h=668&fit=crop" length="0" type="image/jpg"/> </item> <item> <title><![CDATA[Why AI Won't Replace Radiologists: The Ultimate Case Study in Human-AI Collaboration]]></title> <link>https://www.remoteitjobs.app/article/why-ai-wont-replace-radiologists-the-ultimate-case-study-in-human-ai-collaboration</link> <guid>why-ai-wont-replace-radiologists-the-ultimate-case-study-in-human-ai-collaboration</guid> <pubDate>Mon, 09 Feb 2026 13:15:14 GMT</pubDate> <description><![CDATA[Want to understand how **artificial intelligence** could change your job? Look to radiology as a clue. Radiology has become a recent talking point in the AI race. It was mentioned multiple times last month by tech executives at the World Economic Forum in Davos as well as in a White House whitepaper about AI and the economy. Radiology is far from being the only occupation impacted by AI, which is gradually integrating into the work of software engineers, teachers, and even plumbers, among many others. If widely adopted, Goldman Sachs estimates that advancements related to AI could displace 6 to 7% of the US workforce, although the technology is expected to create new jobs too. But the radiology field has become a **case study for how AI could enhance, and not replace, jobs**. The type of work in radiology is also ideal for AI assistance, said Dr. Po-Hao Chen, a doctor specializing in diagnostic radiology at the Cleveland Clinic. Radiology has plenty of available data for AI research and applications, which need copious amounts of data for training. AI can parse through troves of data much more quickly than human workers can, and it is already helping to speed up certain processes in radiology—for example, figuring out which scans need immediate attention. But human physicians are still required to do the bulk of the work—like making diagnoses, physically examining patients, and writing reports. And radiology jobs are projected to grow faster than roles in other areas as the field continues to embrace the tech. "(AI) is not only not replacing those workers, but it’s actually increasing the amount of work they can do and increasing demand for their services," said Jack Karsten, a research fellow at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology. "That’s sort of a bright future that the tech industry can point to as far as this is AI doing good in the economy." AI is very good at analyzing images and spotting patterns in data, both critical to radiology. And the field has been digitized for years, meaning there is an abundance of data, according to Chen. "There are smaller use cases that are analogue still, but in the US for the most part, every X-ray, every CT (scan), every MRI, can be available as zeros and ones," Chen said. Today, radiologists are using AI to help figure out which scans to prioritize, enhance image quality, and assist with summarizing reports, according to Dr. Chen and two other radiology experts who spoke with CNN. "It’s something that doesn’t replace anyone, that just makes our job more efficient and more meaningful," said Dr. Shadpour Demehri, who works in interventional radiology at Johns Hopkins Medicine. René Vidal, a professor in engineering and radiology at the University of Pennsylvania’s Penn Engineering department, views AI as particularly useful for capturing high-quality MRI scans with fewer measurements. That speeds up the process and allows more patients to be seen in the same amount of time. Other applications are being explored in research, such as using AI to measure the volume of a tumor or automatically populate reports, although they’re likely still far out, said Vidal. AI tools must be approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for medical use, which could take around eight years considering the development process and clinical testing, Vidal said. But those approvals are certainly happening: Of the 1,357 AI-enabled medical devices currently with FDA approval, 1,041 are for radiology. At the same time, radiology jobs seem to be growing. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment in radiology will grow 5 percent from 2024 to 2034, which is higher than the average of 3% across all occupations. Data from Indeed provided to CNN also indicates there were more radiology jobs in 2025 compared to five years ago. Demand for imaging during the medical diagnosis process, along with an increased aging population, is likely driving the need for more radiology services, say the radiology experts who spoke with CNN. But that wasn’t always the thinking. Nobel Prize-winning computer scientist Geoffrey Hinton, also referred to as the godfather of AI, said in 2016 that "people should stop training radiologists now" because deep learning—a subset of AI that models how the human brain learns—would handle the job better in five to 10 years. Hinton said in an email to the New York Times last year that he spoke too broadly in those 2016 comments. Demehri recalls there being a sense of anxiety in the radiology field about AI replacing human roles around the 2015 and 2016 timeframe. Now, the technology is seen as a "second set of eyes," he said. Still, there are risks around bias and potential overreliance on AI, according to Chen. Unlike human radiologists, for example, AI can accurately predict a person’s race based on an X-ray, according to a 2022 MIT study, raising concerns about bias in diagnoses. Chen says he also worries about the temptation to make staffing decisions—such as replacing a doctor with a nurse or a subspecialist radiologist with a primary care doctor—if AI becomes advanced enough. That might work in some cases, but not for the majority of conditions that radiology is used for, like detecting cancer or deadly infections. "We have to understand that a lot of the performance of (the) algorithm comes from the fact that the automation output is reviewed by an expert," he said. "And together, this collaboration, if you will, between the machine and the expert is what makes the improvement real."]]></description> <author>contact@remoteitjobs.app (RemoteITJobs.app)</author> <category>ai</category> <category>radiology</category> <category>healthcare</category> <category>futureofwork</category> <category>technology</category> <enclosure url="https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/ap19344577713636.jpg?c=16x9&q=w_800,c_fill" length="0" type="image/jpg"/> </item> <item> <title><![CDATA[ChatGPT Reveals the Next Big Side Hustle Trends You Can't Miss in 2026]]></title> <link>https://www.remoteitjobs.app/article/chatgpt-reveals-the-next-big-side-hustle-trends-you-cant-miss-in-2026</link> <guid>chatgpt-reveals-the-next-big-side-hustle-trends-you-cant-miss-in-2026</guid> <pubDate>Sun, 08 Feb 2026 20:15:16 GMT</pubDate> <description><![CDATA[Leave it to the leading artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot to recommend its own tech base as the future of side hustles. However, with AI seizing jobs in every industry, ChatGPT’s predictive skills are spot on when it comes to upcoming trends in the gig economy. For many Americans, the days of relying on a single job for financial independence and creative freedom are long gone. More workers are choosing side hustle work than ever, fueled by the passion and skills they bring to the table. We asked ChatGPT to predict the next big side hustle, and here’s what it said about opportunities gaining serious traction in 2026 and beyond. ## AI-Powered Hustles and Microservices The potential for successful AI **side hustles** is limitless, but some gigs have much more earning power than others. According to NetCredit data, business, influencer and social media marketing strategy; content and video editing; and website, landing page and UX design are AI-related side hustles that are in demand and growing. Basically, any job that can uniquely apply AI to existing industries to do things faster, cheaper and with a personal touch will be highly sought-after. ## Mobile and Convenience-Based Services Speaking of a personal touch, when new technology begins to mesh with everyday life, people are drawn to preserve vital purpose-driven human connections. For example, the AI platform stated that search interest in mobile car washes has grown 276% recently. Keep your eyes and ears open to “real world” services like pet sitting, mobile bike repair and home organization, along with curated experiences that help build community bonds. ## Digital Product-Based Income All side hustles that involve AI-created digital content will be a boon to every small business and industry giant. This can include things like editing and template design, as well as anything involving embedding integrations (fusing AI in embedded systems to allow devices to process data and make decisions autonomously) and stable diffusion art (a deep learning model used for converting text to images). ## Micro-Consulting and Freelance Services Targeted, specialized side hustles are increasingly popular as consumers seek personalized experiences from people with actual experience. “This form of freelance consulting focuses on niche markets and small-scale projects, and it’s quickly emerging as a popular way for individuals to leverage their expertise and profit from their experience,” according to the entrepreneur supporters at Founder Club. ChatGPT suggested virtual sessions for resume building and marketing campaigns, as well as voiceover and audio branding, as examples. ## Sustainability and Niche Markets Both businesses and job seekers place a high importance on sustainability in today’s job market. The need for workers with “green skills” is growing as a result of government laws, investment trends and the push for accountability by younger generations. “Vintage, thrift resale, plant-based or organic creations, [and] green consulting all tap into rising eco-conscious consumers,” ChatGPT explained. Likewise, ChatGPT suggested that opportunities will be plentiful for those providing niche services to under-resourced communities, like tech support for the elderly and culturally focused content. AI has been supporting these high-loyalty, less competitive areas for years and will continue to expand into new applications — and side hustle opportunities — in the future. Cooking up the next big side hustle won’t include a hidden recipe. It will use new technology to solve old problems, foster real-world connections in a digital era and market personal experiences to audiences through AI application. This is good news for observant and open-minded entrepreneurs who stand to thrive in the perpetually developing hustle economy.]]></description> <author>contact@remoteitjobs.app (RemoteITJobs.app)</author> <category>ai</category> <category>sidehustle</category> <category>gigeconomy</category> <category>futureofwork</category> <category>techtrends</category> <enclosure url="https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/sOr6zBmXVpbR3ibzFS4O9Q--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyMDA7aD02NzU-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/aol_moneylion_410/33590a28fc664b878150826feef7ffe8" length="0" type="image/com/en/aol_moneylion_410/33590a28fc664b878150826feef7ffe8"/> </item> <item> <title><![CDATA[Is AI Stealing Your Job? Laid-Off Tech Workers Share Their Fears and Future Plans]]></title> <link>https://www.remoteitjobs.app/article/is-ai-stealing-your-job-laid-off-tech-workers-share-their-fears-and-future-plans</link> <guid>is-ai-stealing-your-job-laid-off-tech-workers-share-their-fears-and-future-plans</guid> <pubDate>Sat, 07 Feb 2026 13:15:22 GMT</pubDate> <description>< *Ian Carter (left), James Hwang (center), and Joe Friend (right) are among the laid-off workers who've questioned whether AI played a role in their job cuts.* **Feb 7, 2026, 9:54 AM GMT+1** When Kent Ha was laid off from his digital marketing role at Intel last July, he'd been mentally preparing for the possibility that his job could be cut — in part due to AI. Prior layoff rounds had left him concerned about his job security. Plus, earlier that year, Intel announced plans to outsource much of his division's work to Accenture, which it said would use AI to enhance its marketing efforts. "That made it seem even more likely that our group would be hit," said Ha, who's in his 30s and based in Portland, Oregon. Over the past year, I've spoken with dozens of white-collar workers who had recently been laid off — and were left wondering why. Those who weren't aware of any personal performance concerns pointed to a variety of possible explanations, including cost-cutting, the Great Flattening, and pandemic-era overhiring. And one question came up over and over: **Is AI to blame?** As companies pour money into AI, it remains unclear if the technology will replace jobs — or create new ones. While some have signaled that replacing human employees is the goal, others haven't been as clear. Instead, they've cut jobs while simultaneously funding significant AI investments, leaving workers to connect the dots. US employers cited AI as responsible for nearly 55,000 planned layoffs last year, per Challenger — up from about 17,000 combined in the two years prior. As pressure mounts to show returns on AI investments, companies may respond by tightening performance standards — and ultimately, shedding the workers who can't keep up. Still, most companies stop short of pointing the finger at AI. A Microsoft spokesperson previously told Business Insider the company was focused on reducing management layers and streamlining processes. Amazon also cited efficiency and culture as a reason for cuts. Regarding the layoffs that affected Ha, an Intel spokesperson said the company is "taking steps to become a leaner, faster and more efficient company." The workers puzzling out AI's role in their layoffs aren't just trying to process the news — they want to better assess what they're up against in today's job market. To thrive in an AI-driven future, they know they may need to learn new skills and explore new roles. They just want to know if the future they've been fearing has already arrived. ## AI's Impact is Top of Mind for Workers Navigating Layoffs When Joe Friend learned in May that he, along with thousands of others at Microsoft, had lost their jobs, he "wasn't entirely surprised by the layoffs," he said. "I was surprised to get caught up in them." Friend, who's in his 60s and lives in Washington state, was a director of product management overseeing a team of nine. He said he saw speculation online that the layoffs were tied to productivity gains from Microsoft's AI investments — that AI had effectively "eaten" people's jobs. However, he said he hadn't seen much evidence that AI was significantly boosting productivity — and suspects the cuts were more about freeing up money for those investments. "I think these are cuts to offset the huge expenditures that are being made into the structure for AI," he said. "So in that way, AI has eaten your job, but not in terms of AI creating productivity gains." Ian Carter, another laid-off Microsoft worker, also pointed to the company's large investments in AI, as well as what he saw as overhiring during the pandemic. While pursuing roles similar to his former technical program manager position, he also began developing his AI skills — noting that job postings increasingly signaled demand for that expertise. Which jobs will be most vulnerable to AI takeover has been a topic of speculation for years. James Hwang, who lost his Amazon job in October, said he knew that his role — providing IT support for Amazon employees — could be at some risk of automation. Plus, last June, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said he expected AI-driven efficiency gains would eventually lead to a smaller workforce. Still, while Hwang's team had started using AI to help troubleshoot issues, he didn't think the tech was there yet. He's currently applying to similar IT support roles and hasn't shifted his job search strategy in response to AI concerns. "Amazon is not at that stage yet where AI can do our job," said Hwang, who's in his 20s and lives in Michigan. "For us, AI is a tool, because there needs to be a human touch for support." Friend and Hwang are among several laid-off workers who told Business Insider they believe AI's role in their cuts had less to do with automating jobs and more to do with freeing up cash, in part to fund AI investments. But in the end, the financial impact is the same for those who lost their jobs. Going forward, Friend said he plans to be highly selective about his next role, as he believes job security is becoming harder to find in the tech industry. ## Whether AI Took Their Job or the Budget, It May Be Time for a Career Reinvention Laid-off workers who wonder whether AI played a role in their job loss may never get a clear answer. A company's decision to conduct layoffs is often shaped by a mix of factors — from financial pressures to shifting priorities. And even when leadership offers an explanation for the cuts, it may reflect only part of the story — shaped as much by messaging strategy as by internal reasoning. Ninety percent of analysts surveyed recently by Goldman Sachs said AI hadn't yet affected employment levels at the companies they cover — but 60% expected it to drive lower employment over the next five years. Amid this uncertainty, some laid-off workers have decided to build AI skills to prepare for the evolving job market. In his prior role in product at a software development company, Lee Givens Jr. saw colleagues leave for firms eager to shell out big salaries for AI talent. So when was laid off in 2023, he began thinking about how to better position himself in a tech industry that had clearly shifted toward AI. Givens Jr. decided to study AI frameworks relevant to his field, hoping it would make him a more attractive candidate. He said he believes that investment paid off, helping him later land a staff product manager role at a Toyota subsidiary, where he's now putting his AI knowledge to work. "When there's a major technological shift — like the rise of the internet or AI — you have to reinvent yourself," he said.]]></description> <author>contact@remoteitjobs.app (RemoteITJobs.app)</author> <category>ai</category> <category>layoffs</category> <category>techjobs</category> <category>career</category> <category>automation</category> <enclosure url="https://i.insider.com/698662d5d3c7faef0ecdd6fe?width=1200&format=jpeg" length="0" type="image//698662d5d3c7faef0ecdd6fe"/> </item> <item> <title><![CDATA[Unlock Your Future: The 5 Hottest Tech and AI Careers Booming in 2026]]></title> <link>https://www.remoteitjobs.app/article/unlock-your-future-the-5-hottest-tech-and-ai-careers-booming-in-2026</link> <guid>unlock-your-future-the-5-hottest-tech-and-ai-careers-booming-in-2026</guid> <pubDate>Sat, 07 Feb 2026 20:15:22 GMT</pubDate> <description>< ## 4. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Researchers Alongside massive financial investments, private research roles have boomed as institutions expand internal teams dedicated to the progression of generative AI. Tasked with designing and testing new models, algorithms, and future applications of generative AI, these research positions take LinkedIn's fifth spot among the fastest growing roles in the U.S. According to Apple, their AI/ML research team studies the technology, publishes their research, and hosts and attends conferences on deep learning. Google currently has more than **1,700 job listings** for roles across its research teams, including research engineers and scientists dedicated to AI in security and privacy, advertising, search, and machine learning optimization. According to LinkedIn's findings, the majority of these roles are offered in tech hubs: **San Francisco, New York City, and now Boston**. The gender divide is fairly stark, too: 74 percent of spots in this field are held by men, with an average of three years of prior experience. And the median salary is in the six figures, with Zip Recruiter putting it at **$130,000 per year**. ## 5. Data Center Technicians In 2025, **$61 billion** went toward the infrastructure of data centers operating around the world, according to a report by S&P Global. Due in part to the energy-intensive demands of generative AI, these data centers are funded by major tech companies and a precarious model of private equity debt, according to the S&P Global report — they are also supported bureaucratically by the federal government. Hardware specialists, including technicians tasked with overseeing the new facilities and their server networks, are in demand. These positions require physical and technical skill — they have to install and maintain servers, organize cable patch plans, and constantly monitor the vast network they physically build for people around the world to utilize. According to LinkedIn's report, most employees in these roles were previously in IT or data center operations and career sites like Glassdoor put their median salaries around **$68,000**. A majority of roles are based in the **Washington, D.C. metro area, Atlanta, and Columbus, Ohio** — areas that overlap with growing data center hubs across the U.S.]]></description> <author>contact@remoteitjobs.app (RemoteITJobs.app)</author> <category>ai</category> <category>techjobs</category> <category>careergrowth</category> <category>machinelearning</category> <category>datascience</category> <enclosure url="https://helios-i.mashable.com/imagery/articles/00VhM9jbjqTINjoHSZBBh9o/hero-image.fill.size_1200x675.v1769625826.jpg" length="0" type="image/jpg"/> </item> </channel> </rss>