On May 28, 2026, the Chinese-language website of Germany's international broadcaster Deutsche Welle reported on the IT industry's optimism regarding job insecurity accompanying the spread of artificial intelligence (AI) and ethical warnings from Pope Leo XIV.

The article introduced that social media giant Meta cut approximately 8,000 employees, about 10% of its total workforce, and U.S. retail giant Amazon also cut over 10,000 employees in 2025 and 2026, respectively. It also reported that Microsoft and Alphabet (Google's parent company) were reducing staff to shift the focus of their strategies.

Furthermore, it was reported that some analysts have suggested that the restructuring at major companies is a pretext to cover up negative aspects such as over-hiring and cost pressures.

And it was introduced that Jensen Huang (Huang Renxun), CEO of Nvidia, while criticizing some executives for using AI as an easy and insincere excuse for restructuring, stated, 'AI doesn't take away jobs, but people learning AI will replace you,' reigniting the debate on employment. It was also mentioned that CEO Huang proposed that people should prevent being left behind by learning AI as a tool, just as they did with the advent of personal computers.

The article conveyed that Pope Leo XIV, in his first encyclical, 'Magnifica Humanitas' (Great Humanity), pointed out that when efficiency becomes the criterion for measuring value, people come to view themselves as 'projects' that should be constantly optimized, and cease to perceive themselves as true human beings who build relationships with others.

Furthermore, it was stated that the Pope expressed concern about a 'new form of slavery' caused by the concentration of technology, denied the justification of war through algorithms, and called on governments to monitor AI vendors, protect workers, and protect children.

The article introduced a story that Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng (He Lifeng) was shocked to hear that some companies estimated over 30% of existing jobs would be lost with the full implementation of AI. It also reported that the Chinese government, at the end of 2025, called on companies to avoid staff reductions when introducing AI.

Furthermore, it also introduced a case where the Hangzhou Intermediate People's Court in Zhejiang Province ruled that dismissing employees on the grounds that 'AI is cheaper' was illegal, and ordered a company to pay 260,000 yuan (approximately 6.1 million yen) in compensation. (Edited and translated by Kawajiri)