A tech CEO who cut his staff from over 1,000 to 120 says AI is boosting the value of 'high-agency' generalists
Bird CEO Robert Vis explains that AI automation has allowed the company to significantly reduce its headcount while prioritizing 'high-agency' generalists. These employees, who possess multidisciplinary skills and product sense, are increasingly valued over narrow specialists in an AI-driven workplace.
Why it matters
This reflects a broader shift in corporate hiring strategies as AI tools change the definition of productivity and required skill sets.
Bird's CEO Robert Vis says AI is making high-agency generalists more valuable at work. Jose Sarmento Matos/Bloomberg via Getty Images Bird CEO Robert Vis said AI gives an edge to 'high agency' generalists who can work across roles. Bird's head count has dropped from more than 1,000 to 120 as AI automates more tasks. "If you had very high performance but you were not multidisciplinary, you would not stay," he said. Being a specialist may be getting harder at some AI-powered companies. "The profile that we were very focused on was people with high agency," Robert Vis, the CEO of communications infrastructure company Bird, told Business Insider. "If you're high agency and you're full stack, then AI leverages you to basically be your best self."
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