The CEO of a company in India has received a wave of criticism after replacing 90% of his customer service staff by an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot.
Suumit Shah, the founder of Dukaan, claimed on Twitter that the chatbot significantly improved initial responses to customers and the resolution time for their queries.
The tweet angered many netizens.
This came at a time when there are concerns that artificial intelligence could put many people out of work, particularly in the services sector.
“necessary” decision
In the tweet thread — which has amassed over a million views — Shah explained his company’s decision to use a chatbot.
He claimed that layoffs were A ‘difficult’ decision but ‘necessary’.
“Given the state of the economy, startups prioritize profitability over trying to become ‘unicorns,’ and so do we,” he wrote.
Shah added that customer support had been an issue for the company for a long time and he was looking forward to fixing it.
He also wrote about how they built the robot and AI platform in a short time so that all Dokan customers can have a virtual assistant.
He made sure that the bot answered all kinds of queries quickly and accurately.
“In the age of instant gratification, starting a business is no longer a pipe dream,” he wrote, adding, “With the right idea, and the right team, anyone can turn their entrepreneurial dreams into reality.”
Shah also noted that the company is hiring for multiple positions.
However, many users criticized his posts and They accused him of disrupting the lives of his employees With his “cruel” decision.
criticisms
One user asked “As expected, I didn’t find any mention of firing 90% of the staff. What help did they provide?”
Another said, “It may have been the right decision for the company, but it shouldn’t become a celebratory/marketing theme.”
Shah responded to a tweet saying “it’s no surprise that someone would be insulted on behalf of another” and added that he would explain employee support via LinkedIn because people on Twitter are looking for “profit, not like”.
In recent years, generative AI tools such as ChatGPT have proliferated and become more accessible.
As more organizations use these tools to increase productivity and reduce costs, concerns are growing for people who fear losing their jobs to technology.
Goldman Sachs published a report in March indicating that artificial intelligence It can replace about 300 million jobs full time.
In India, many companies are investing in artificial intelligence to develop products, which has raised fears of potential job losses.
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