IBM China has reportedly shut down the access rights of IBM China employees in R&D and testing positions, including those in Beijing, Shanghai, Dalian and other places, affecting more than 1,000 people.

According to several IBM China employees, the above news has triggered speculation that IBM China is about to lay off a large number of employees. The closure of permissions occurred on Friday night (August 23, 2024), and the employees whose permissions were revoked will be interviewed on Monday (26th) and participate in online meetings. Many media outlets have asked IBM China to verify this matter, but IBM China has not yet responded to this matter.

In December last year, IBM CEO Arvind Krishna announced that the company is "vigorously improving the AI ​​skills of all employees" after the company announced plans to replace nearly 8,000 jobs with AI.