Acrisure, a Grand Rapids-based insurance brokerage company, announced it will implement artificial intelligence for accounting operations, resulting in 400 job cuts globally—200 of which will come from its Grand Rapids headquarters. The decision highlights the growing tension between AI-driven efficiency gains and workforce displacement as companies increasingly turn to automation to streamline operations.
What you should know: The AI implementation specifically targets accounting functions, representing a significant shift in how the insurance brokerage handles financial operations.
- Acrisure’s move affects 400 positions worldwide, with half of the cuts concentrated at the company’s Michigan headquarters.
- The decision reflects a broader trend of companies integrating AI into core business functions, particularly in data-heavy departments like accounting and finance.
What they’re saying: Industry experts and labor advocates offer contrasting perspectives on AI’s workplace impact.
- “It’s unfortunate that products that were once sold as supposed to be helping workers are now being used to replace workers instead,” said Ryan Sebolt, who works with the Michigan AFL-CIO, a federation representing labor unions.
- Kelly Siegle, CEO of National Technology Management, a Michigan-based tech consulting firm, takes a different stance: “This is coming, you need to adapt it—learn it. And if you’re a company, if you’re a fellow Michigander company and you’re not leveraging AI, start.”
- Liz Bentley, CEO of Liz Bentley Associates, warns about AI’s accuracy issues: “We have to remember that a lot of chatbots, for example, they give you positive feedback on almost anything. And that can be a real danger because you’re not having critical thinking.”
The company’s response: Acrisure acknowledged the difficulty of the decision while emphasizing its continued commitment to the Grand Rapids community.
- “This was not an easy decision, as it affects colleagues who have given so much to our company and our community,” the company stated on October 9, 2025.
- The company pledged to continue investing in “local partnerships, programs, nonprofits, and initiatives that strengthen the region, while working toward a future that creates value for employees, customers, and the broader community alike.”
The bigger debate: The Acrisure announcement underscores competing views on AI’s long-term employment impact.
- Labor advocates like Sebolt argue that AI can be productive when “workers have a say in AI and how AI is implemented in the workplace,” suggesting the need for regulatory oversight.
- Technology proponents like Siegle believe artificial intelligence will ultimately create more jobs than it eliminates, positioning early adoption as essential for competitive advantage.
Recent Stories
DOE fusion roadmap targets 2030s commercial deployment as AI drives $9B investment
The Department of Energy has released a new roadmap targeting commercial-scale fusion power deployment by the mid-2030s, though the plan lacks specific funding commitments and relies on scientific breakthroughs that have eluded researchers for decades. The strategy emphasizes public-private partnerships and positions AI as both a research tool and motivation for developing fusion energy to meet data centers' growing electricity demands. The big picture: The DOE's roadmap aims to "deliver the public infrastructure that supports the fusion private sector scale up in the 2030s," but acknowledges it cannot commit to specific funding levels and remains subject to Congressional appropriations. Why...
Oct 17, 2025Tying it all together: Credo’s purple cables power the $4B AI data center boom
Credo, a Silicon Valley semiconductor company specializing in data center cables and chips, has seen its stock price more than double this year to $143.61, following a 245% surge in 2024. The company's signature purple cables, which cost between $300-$500 each, have become essential infrastructure for AI data centers, positioning Credo to capitalize on the trillion-dollar AI infrastructure expansion as hyperscalers like Amazon, Microsoft, and Elon Musk's xAI rapidly build out massive computing facilities. What you should know: Credo's active electrical cables (AECs) are becoming indispensable for connecting the massive GPU clusters required for AI training and inference. The company...
Oct 17, 2025Vatican launches Latin American AI network for human development
The Vatican hosted a two-day conference bringing together 50 global experts to explore how artificial intelligence can advance peace, social justice, and human development. The event launched the Latin American AI Network for Integral Human Development and established principles for ethical AI governance that prioritize human dignity over technological advancement. What you should know: The Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, the Vatican's research body for social issues, organized the "Digital Rerum Novarum" conference on October 16-17, combining academic research with practical AI applications. Participants included leading experts from MIT, Microsoft, Columbia University, the UN, and major European institutions. The conference...