Atlassian CEO fires 150 employees in pre-recoded home video

Australian software company Atlassian is laying off 150 employees, with AI set to take over many customer service roles. According to a report by Sky News Australia, the announcement came via a pre-recorded video from CEO Mike Cannon-Brookes, filmed in his home office. 

In the announcement, it was stated that impacted staff will receive six months' pay, though their laptops were reportedly disabled within minutes of the announcement. However, because no names were specified in the video, affected workers were left waiting anxiously for follow-up emails about their fate.

The mass firing comes just months after the billionaire "climate activist" spent $75 million on a private jet. Cannon-Brookes previously admitted the purchase gave him "deep internal conflict", but argued he needed it for security and to be a "present dad" while running a global business from Australia.

According to the Sky News Australia report, Atlassian's other co-founder, Scott Farquhar, doubled down on the AI push during a National Press Club appearance, declaring: "Every person should be using AI daily for as many things as they can." Farquhar also argued Australia needs looser copyright laws to feed AI development.

The cuts highlight a growing tension in tech, in which OpenAI CEO OpenAI's Sam Altman recently predicted AI will soon handle customer service better than humans. Employees around the globe face an uncertain future as companies rush to automate jobs.  

While Atlassian's blog claims these "hard decisions" were made with "heart and balance", critics point to the stark contrast between lavish executive spending and sudden job cuts.

The question remains: Is this smart business or tone-deaf leadership? Either way, it's becoming clear that in the AI revolution, workers may be the first casualties.