4 000 personnes virées en 24h à cause de l'IA chez Block. Et ce n'est que le début...

This episode of *Silicon Carnet*, hosted by Carlos Diaz, explores the seismic shifts currently reshaping the global economy, the labor market, and digital sovereignty. Joined by guests Quentin Adam (Clever Cloud), Jérémy Michel (Risk Intel Media), and Brivael (Argil), the discussion tackles the implications of mass layoffs in tech, the existential crisis of the white-collar worker, and the growing digital friction between the United States and Europe. ### The Citrini Report: A Fictional Economic Apocalypse The conversation begins with a viral Substack post by Citrini Research titled "The 2028 Global Intelligent Crisis." This fictional scenario envisions a near future where AI automates intellectual labor so effectively that millions of white-collar jobs vanish by 2028, leading to a collapse in global consumption and a total economic meltdown. Quentin Adam is skeptical of this "end of history" narrative. He argues that while we are in an industrial revolution for intellectual services, society will simply reconfigure. He suggests that the real threat is to "bullshit jobs"—non-productive administrative roles—rather than creative or inventive ones. Jérémy Michel adds that such apocalyptic studies often mask geopolitical realities. He posits that the world is more likely to be destabilized by energy shortages, declining birth rates, or actual warfare than by ChatGPT. However, Brivael notes that because AI agents are evolving exponentially, predicting their long-term economic impact is nearly impossible using the linear frameworks of the past. ### The Block Layoffs: A New Paradigm for Growth A central point of the debate is Jack Dorsey’s recent decision to fire 4,000 employees at Block (formerly Square) within 24 hours. Notably, Block is not a struggling company; it is growing. This marks a fundamental shift in economic logic: traditionally, growth required more capital and more labor. Dorsey is signaling that for a company to scale today, it may actually need *fewer* people. Brivael explains that for a large corporation, the energy required to retrain thousands of employees to adopt AI is so high that layoffs become a strategic tool to "create stress" and force a paradigm shift. He observes a "narcissistic wound" among developers who are being disrupted for the first time in decades. Quentin Adam shares his experience at Clever Cloud, where he had to personally sit with developers to show them that their value is no longer in "pissing code," but in understanding the architecture of the solution. The consensus is that workers must transition from being "artisans" of code to "orchestrators" of AI agents. ### The Resistance in Education The panel addresses a recent petition by nearly 3,000 French professors who are exercising "objection of conscience" against generative AI in universities. Jérémy Michel critiques this as a sign of an obsolete institution. Historically, education was based on the scarcity of knowledge. Today, knowledge is a commodity, and AI can provide more personalized, effective tutoring than a traditional classroom. The guests argue that while the university remains a valuable place for networking and finding co-founders, its role as a gatekeeper of knowledge is "finito." They advise students to focus on AI literacy rather than rote memorization, as the current academic system is largely technophobic and disconnected from the needs of the modern economy. ### Digital Sovereignty and "Freedom.gov" The discussion takes a geopolitical turn with the announcement of "Freedom.gov," a US government-backed initiative to provide Europeans with a free VPN. This is framed as a digital version of "Radio Free Europe," intended to help citizens bypass EU digital regulations, which the US views as censorship or over-regulation. Jérémy Michel views this as a clear message from Washington to European elites: "Do not try to close your informational space." By providing these tools, the US is asserting its digital hegemony. Quentin Adam notes that the US is using the narrative of "free speech" to protect its monopolies (the Big Tech "Gafam") from European independence. The panel expresses concern over the "totalitarian temptation" of European governments to ban VPNs or weaken end-to-end encryption in the name of security. They argue that VPNs are essential for privacy, and any attempt to restrict them is an attack on fundamental digital rights. ### Conclusion: The Political Void The episode concludes with a critique of French and European politics. Quentin Adam laments that digital sovereignty is rarely a serious political topic in France, where the focus remains on labor laws and pensions. Jérémy Michel observes that the left views tech as "techno-fascism" while the right—the party of retirees—simply ignores it. Carlos Diaz ends the show with a call to action, insisting that technology must become a central theme in future political debates. He argues that we can no longer separate technology from politics, and that the competence of future leaders will be judged by their vision for an AI-driven world.