A new survey of 1,552 India-based professionals highlights an unexpected contradiction in the AI boom: people working directly in artificial intelligence and machine learning are among the technology workers most worried about layoffs. According to the survey by professional networking platform Blind, 66% of AI and ML professionals expect a layoff or significant headcount reduction within their teams over the next three to six months. The findings challenge the assumption that working in AI automatically provides strong job security.
AI and ML workers were the second-most concerned group in the survey, behind sales and marketing employees, 68% of whom anticipated workforce reductions. Product and design professionals followed at 65%. Interestingly, engineers expressed considerably less concern: 58% of engineers overall reported layoff concern, while only 24% considered layoffs “very likely,” the lowest figure among the surveyed functions. Data and analytics professionals were also relatively confident, with 51% expressing concern and four in ten saying layoffs were unlikely.
The survey also reveals that employees are watching early warning signs rather than waiting for official redundancy announcements. Among workers expecting cuts, 27% identified hiring freezes as the strongest indicator, while 24% pointed to budget reductions or lower headcount targets. Only 9% said formal layoff announcements were their main warning signal. Sentiment also varied significantly by company: employees at Salesforce, Oracle, Uber, and PayPal reported particularly high levels of concern, while Zoho employees reported substantially lower anxiety.
The broader message is that rising demand for AI expertise does not necessarily guarantee job stability. Companies are simultaneously investing heavily in AI and restructuring their workforces to control costs and improve efficiency. For AI professionals, this means technical expertise may need to be combined with broader capabilities that remain valuable as organizations change. The survey does not suggest that AI careers are disappearing; rather, it shows that even the people building AI recognize that the technology is transforming the workforce—including their own jobs.
