Yes, AI is killing jobs, and other tech news you may have missed

September 17, 2025 11:17 AM

Big companies are using artificial intelligence to cut workers, 42 top tools for your home office, the return of the in-person interview, and other developments in technology this past month and how they'll impact your clients and your firm.

1. Big companies use AI to cut workers

Pawel Gaul

AI is reshaping the workforce, often at the expense of employees, according to a CNBC report that compiled responses from management at companies like Amazon, PayPal and Microsoft. AI is being used to streamline operations, boost productivity, and reduce labor costs. AI tools are replacing roles in customer service, HR, finance, and software development, especially entry-level and repetitive jobs. PayPal's AI assistant, for example, is cutting down on customer service calls and live interactions. Rising unemployment numbers in the tech sector have been voiced by young workers whose skills overlap with AI capabilities. Executives often frame layoffs as "restructuring" or "optimization," though experts say these are often euphemisms for AI-driven cuts. AI is quietly becoming a powerful force behind workforce reductions, even as companies tout its benefits for efficiency and innovation. (Source: CNBC)

Why this is important for your firm and clients: Ever see an employee typing pool? Telephone switchboard operators? Gas station attendants? Blacksmiths? Technology has always replaced people. This is nothing new. In 2025 big companies are doing this, mainly by employing AI in customer service and software development. Ultimately this technology will make its way into operations, sales, marketing, accounting and right down on to the shop floor. Small businesses will follow. Labor will be disrupted. The smartest employees will lean into this stuff and use it well. Others will find themselves out of a job. I'm sure there will be other opportunities, just like there's always been.

2. 42 incredible tech accessories for home offices

Larry Malvin/pics721 - stock.adobe.com

PCWorld's August 2025 guide offers a treasure trove of tech gear to supercharge your work-from-home setup — 42 products in total, all tested and recommended by their editorial team. Their top categories and standout picks:

Webcams: The Anker PowerConf C200 (2K resolution) helps you look sharp on Zoom without breaking the bank.
Laptop stands: Lamicall's adjustable aluminum stand improves ergonomics and cooling, while Ugreen's X-Fit doubles as a USB hub.
Audio gear: USB microphones and noise-canceling headphones are essential for clear communication and focus.
Lighting & ambiance: Ring lights, smart bulbs, and desk lamps enhance visibility and mood.
Furniture upgrades: Sit/stand desks and ergonomic chairs support posture and comfort during long hours. (Source: PCWorld)

Why this is important for your business: Great article and great recommendations for any home worker or home-based business.

3. GPT-5 in Microsoft 365 Copilot

As of August 7, GPT-5 — OpenAI's most advanced AI model — is now integrated into Microsoft 365 Copilot and Copilot Studio worldwide. Microsoft posted the announcement detailing the following capabilities:

Copilot now uses GPT-5's real-time router to select the best model for each prompt, either a fast-response engine for simple tasks or a deep-reasoning engine for complex ones.
Its human-like capability mirrors how people think, producing incisive feedback when tasks require it.
Copilot can review a project, provide a summary of what worked and what didn't, and draft a "lessons learned" document.
Copilot can handle large documents up to 100K tokens.

Microsoft said this update is available for users who have a Microsoft 365 Copilot license — availability to all users will roll out in the coming weeks. (Source: Microsoft)

Why this is important for your firm and clients: OpenAI has absorbed a fair amount of abuse for its rollout of GPT-5 in the past few weeks, thanks to bugs and hallucinations. But the company has taken steps to resolve these issues, and like any new version of a software product, I'm confident the new platform will be more reliable in the coming months. Microsoft is already doubling down by incorporating into its Copilot offerings. If your company is using Copilot — be it for productivity or internal development — you'll pretty much have no choice but to use the GPT-5 platform going forward.

4. AI forces the return of the in-person job interview

Ray Smith of The Wall Street Journal reported that companies are going back to the "old-school" method of job interviews: face-to-face. As generative AI becomes more embedded in hiring, companies are rethinking how they conduct interviews — balancing automation with authenticity. (Source: Wall Street Journal)

Why this is important for your firm and clients: According to the report, research has shown that in some instances, job seekers have used AI tools to cheat to appear more qualified, particularly in fields such as software engineering. Employers are changing up their interviewing process utilizing AI-powered screening to review resumes, then proceed with an in-person interview to better gauge soft skills and cultural fit. AI is making hiring faster and more scalable, but companies are learning that too much automation can feel impersonal. The future of interviews may be hybrid — tech-enhanced but still human at heart.

5. DocuSign adds AI-powered contract platform

pojoslaw - Fotolia

DocuSign is evolving far beyond e-signatures with its new AI-powered Intelligent Agreement Management platform, unveiled in August 2025. With IAM, DocuSign now helps users manage the entire agreement lifecycle — from request intake to execution — using AI and automation. The AI can flag risky or non-compliant terms based on company playbooks; suggest edits to align with internal policies; and centralize templates and audit trails for consistency and visibility. DocuSign Iris is an AI engine that selects the best model for tasks like contract review, compliance checks, and identity verification. This shift turns contracts from static documents into dynamic, searchable data assets, helping businesses reduce errors, accelerate deal cycles, and improve compliance. (Source: Computer Weekly)

Why this is important for your firm and clients: As a user of DocuSign, I need to take the advice that I often give to others: Lean into your software platforms and get training. We're still using this platform like we did five years ago. And yet, here are a bunch of ways that we could be doing things better if we only spent the time to learn them. I'm in for some more training.

6. Claude AI Chrome extension ups its game

Anthropic officially released a Claude AI browser extension for Chrome, designed to bring its conversational agent directly into users' browsing experience. Features include context-aware assistance where Claude can analyze the content of the current webpage and offer summaries, explanations, or follow-up questions. Users can interact with Claude using text, voice, or even upload documents for analysis. This launch positions Claude as a direct competitor to other browser-integrated AI tools like Microsoft's Copilot and Google's Gemini, expanding its utility beyond chat into real-time web interaction. (Source: Technology Org)

Why this is important for your firm and clients: If you're worried about security, Anthropic says the extension is only activated when prompted and doesn't track browsing history unless explicitly allowed. Acknowledging the vulnerabilities with browser-connected AI agents, Anthropic also says it added safeguards to help decrease the rate of attacks — and Claude will not have automatic access to financial services websites. This is the very beginning of agentic AI taking over our browsers. In the next few years, as training gets better and voice enablement becomes more common we'll be telling our AI bots to do things on our devices that we — and other employees — were formerly doing. This will save time and increase productivity and yes … it could result in some losing their jobs.

7. Walmart's AI assistant to be 'primary vehicle' for shopping

Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg

Walmart CEO Doug McMillon announced that "Sparky" — the company's customer-facing AI assistant — is set to become the "primary vehicle for discovery, shopping, and managing everything from reorders to returns." Sparky is being enhanced to feel smarter and more tailored to individual shopping habits. The AI will help Walmart better understand why customers shop — whether for routine replenishment or casual browsing — and respond accordingly. According to the company, Sparky has received positive feedback, and they plan to add more agentic capabilities going forward. Walmart has committed to AI as a core driver of customer experience and operational efficiency. "We see Sparky becoming an indispensable part of how people shop with us," McMillon said. (Source: CX Dive)

Why this is important for your firm and clients: Like many big brands rolling out AI enabled assistants to help customers, the challenge will be balancing the bot and the human experience. I hope McMillon understands that a percentage of his customers only prefer to deal with humans and that others would like to get connected to a human whenever they request. I hope he also realizes that bots like "Sparky" can be great tools for customers but have their limits. Five years from now, will these bots still be customer-facing? Or will they be supporting their customer-facing employees? Jury's out for now.

8. A humanoid robot powered by 'large behavior model'

Art Gallery - stock.adobe.com

Boston Dynamics and Toyota Research Institute unveiled a major leap in humanoid robotics: The Atlas robot now runs on a "large behavior model," enabling it to perform complex tasks with whole-body coordination — without manual programming. The LBM treats hands and feet as unified tools, allowing Atlas to walk, crouch, lift, and manipulate objects seamlessly. Atlas responds to unexpected challenges mid-task, like adjusting when a box lid is closed or repositioning items on the fly — and can readjust itself. This breakthrough is the result of an October 2024 research project between Boston Dynamics and TRI with the goal of accelerating smart robot capabilities. With LBMs, robots can learn and generalize behaviors across tasks — bringing us closer to general-purpose humanoid assistants that can operate in real-world environments. (Source: Robotics & Automation News)

Why this is important for your clients: If you want to have some terrifying fun, check out Boston Dynamic's website and YouTube page to see what kind of robots they're developed — and where it's going. It's not mainstream yet. But you see where it's going.

9. AI drives rise in CEO impersonator scams

Angus Loten of The Wall Street Journal reported on the surge in CEO impersonation scams fueled by AI. Last year alone, over 105,000 deepfake attacks were reported with losses exceeding $200 million. Cybercriminals are using AI-generated deepfakes — hyper-realistic video and audio — to impersonate CEOs and other executives. These scams typically begin with a phone call or video meeting from a fake executive making urgent requests for money transfers, sensitive data, or access credentials. The deepfakes are shockingly convincing, mimicking real voices, facial expressions, and body language in real time. Scammers train AI models using publicly available content — interviews, webinars, earnings calls — to replicate executives' speech and appearance. The targets of these sophisticated scams are often lower-level employees with privileged access. (Source: Wall Street Journal)

Why this is important for your firm and clients: Another day, another security threat … this time from AI. Deepfakes are getting better at fooling people and will continue to be a rising threat. But there are some old-school ways to defend against this. For example, always call the person back. Require multiple sign-offs on any cash transaction. Require additional documentation, even if it's from the boss. Get training and have some common sense.

10. Zendesk and Talkdesk boost customer support

Deemerwha studio - stock.adobe.com

Customer service platform Zendesk integrated GPT-5 into its Resolution Platform to supercharge customer support with smarter automation and faster, more accurate responses. According to the company, this move enhances Zendesk's AI agents, Copilot, and App Builder, making support interactions more seamless and effective. With GPT-5, improvements include fewer escalations and faster execution. Additionally, Zendesk says that its rigorous testing "ensures GPT-5 avoids hallucinations and only acts when confident." (Source: Small Business Trends)

Why this is important for your firm and clients: For the past couple of years I've been writing about how big companies are investing in AI, mostly for enhancing their customer service applications. I've also been telling my small and midsized business clients to be patient: This stuff will eventually start trickling down. And it is. Zendesk — and other great customer service platforms for small businesses like my client Talkdesk Express — are using AI to shorten resolution times, provide more accurate answers to customer questions, and better support human customer service representatives in their jobs. And they're just getting started.