Netherlands to slash state jobs as part of AI-related savings

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The Netherlands said it would cut 25,000 government jobs as part of AI-related savings, among the more aggressive moves yet set out by states seeking to adapt to the technology. The cuts, which represent more than 15% of the overall Dutch civil service workforce, come alongside soon-to-be announced plans for deploying AI within the government.
The Netherlands is far from alone in trying to incorporate AI to drive public-service efficiency: New Zealand is mulling a similar proportional reduction in official jobs, using an “aggressive/targeted approach to AI,” a top civil servant said last month. Others are even more ambitious: The UAE is pushing to become the world’s first “AI-native” government in order to maximize productivity from its tiny population.

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