DK Shivakumar predicts 50% job cut in Bengaluru due to AI, worried netizens react

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has warned that Artificial Intelligence (AI) may eliminate up to half of existing jobs in Bengaluru and other cities of India. Speaking at the Network18 Future of Work Summit on 28 April, he described AI as a major challenge for the labour market and urged policymakers to prepare for a large-scale disruption.

Bengaluru may see 50% job cut due to AI

“This is the city of future. The entire world is looking at India through Bengaluru," Shivakumar said, adding that the city's vast talent pool makes it central to India's technology narrative. He cautioned, however, that “AI may cut 50% of jobs in Bengaluru and different parts of the country.”

His comments quickly went viral on social media, with many citizens expressing concern over the prediction. Some argued that the warning echoed global tech leaders' forecasts, while others questioned the accuracy of his figures and the likelihood of mass job losses.

Netizens react to prediction

Reacting to it, a user wrote in the comment section of a viral X post: "He just repeated what Anthropic CEO has said recently. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has not just predicted job cuts-he has warned that AI could "wipe out" roughly 50% of all entry-level white-collar jobs within the next one to five years [sic]."

"50% job cuts in Bangalore because of AI is fine but is the State Government thinking of some alternate jobs for those who have been "kicked out"? These people should be definitely placed in respectable alternate jobs failing which law & order problems will increase [sic]," reacted another.

One said, "This is going to hurt India really badly. The sad part is - no one seems prepared, neither employees nor the government. There needs to be proactive policy, reskilling, and transition planning. Otherwise, it could be disastrous for employment, especially in IT."

Someone also jokingly commented, "Time for Bangalore landlords to get some bashing. They have harassed tenants for a long time."

Yet another argued, "That sounds exaggerated, AI will reshape jobs fast, but mass cuts aren’t inevitable."

A different user said, "And this scares me, but I started learning AI. It’s better to skill up until it’s very late."

What did DK Shivakumar also say

Shivakumar talked on the lines of the event theme and said that the government must safeguard its people in the current environment. He urged a human-centric blueprint in which AI can be used to boost human intelligence instead of replacing talent. He said that to maintain Bengaluru's “Silicon Valley of India" title, it must set an example to the world in terms of AI implementation by prioritising worker reskilling and ensuring inclusive growth.

The evolution of jobs

At the same event, N Manjula, Secretary, Department of Electronics, IT, Biotechnology and Science & Technology, Government of Karnataka, also touched upon layoffs due to AI. Manjula commented that “there will be a loss of a few jobs." However, he added, “There will also be a lot of evolution of new jobs” with AI adoption across industries.

(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. Live Mint couldn't independently verify the claims and does not endorse them.)