Software program firm Autodesk is slashing roughly 1,000 roles, representing a 7% minimize of its international workforce.
The San Francisco firm, which makes software program utilized by architects, designers and engineers, advised its staff Thursday that “strategic shifts,” together with its deal with increasing its management in synthetic intelligence, fueled its newest spherical of cuts.
Staff in “customer-facing gross sales” roles can be considerably affected by the layoffs, and the associated fee financial savings can be reinvested within the firm’s priorities by way of the fiscal yr ending January 2027, the corporate stated in a submitting to the U.S. Securities and Change Fee.
Whereas the rise of synthetic intelligence that may generate code, textual content and pictures has heightened fears that expertise will displace employees, Autodesk Chief Govt and President Andrew Anagnost advised staff that isn’t what’s driving the cuts.
“I need to be clear that this is not going to turn out to be an annual course of at Autodesk and these adjustments usually are not pushed by the exterior atmosphere or an effort to interchange individuals with AI,” he advised staff in an e-mail on Thursday. “We stay steadfast in our perception that expertise is barely as highly effective because the individuals who use it and people will at all times be crucial a part of the equation.”
The corporate modified how clients buy and renew its software program subscriptions, asking them to pay Autodesk straight.
Autodesk declined to share how lots of the layoffs are occurring in California. The corporate has places of work exterior of the USA, together with in Europe and Asia.
The corporate plans to put off roughly 104 staff at its San Francisco headquarters in April, in keeping with a Thursday letter to the California Employment Improvement Division.
Autodesk is the most recent California tech firm this yr to announce one other large spherical of cuts, even after already shrinking its workforce in 2025. Final yr, Autodesk stated it could minimize roughly 1,350 positions, or roughly 9% of its workforce, citing geopolitical and macroeconomic elements and its AI investments.
Meta, the mum or dad firm of Fb and Instagram, can also be slashing its workforce once more and shutting a number of content material studios because it focuses extra closely on investing in wearables akin to smartglasses. The layoffs hit greater than 1,000 staff and targeted closely on those that have been engaged on the metaverse, digital areas the place individuals socialize, work, be taught and pursue different on-line actions.
Within the third quarter ending in October 2025, Autodesk’s income elevated 18% to $1.85 billion. The corporate’s internet earnings throughout that quarter was $343 million, up from $275 million.