Cloudflare CEO Matthew Prince has said that artificial intelligence could make an entire category of jobs obsolete, particularly roles focused on measuring and monitoring organisational performance.
In a recent opinion piece, Prince stated that many employees affected by Cloudflare’s latest workforce reduction belonged to what he described as “measurer” roles, including middle management, finance, legal, internal auditing, and revenue recognition functions. “The vast majority of those we laid off last week were measurers,” he wrote.
Earlier this month, Cloudflare announced plans to reduce its workforce by 20%, impacting approximately 1,100 employees. The company said evolving AI capabilities are changing the types of roles it requires for future growth.
According to Prince, AI systems can now assess organisational performance with a level of speed, consistency, and precision that often exceeds traditional human-led measurement processes. He argued that AI’s ability to continuously analyse operations could reduce the need for many oversight and monitoring functions.
At the same time, he suggested that “builders,” such as engineers, and “sellers,” including sales professionals, may remain relatively secure in the near term as the company continues to hire in areas directly tied to product development and revenue growth.
Cloudflare also cited the increasing use of agentic AI systems—tools capable of independently performing tasks and making decisions—as a contributing factor behind the workforce reduction, despite the company reporting record revenue growth and an expanding customer base.
The comments come amid growing debate over AI’s impact on employment across industries. Since generative AI tools gained widespread adoption following the launch of ChatGPT in late 2022, companies have increasingly discussed automation as a means of improving efficiency and restructuring operations.
AI-related workforce reductions are becoming more common across the technology sector. Several companies have linked layoffs to AI-driven efficiency gains, although some industry observers argue that broader cost-cutting measures and post-pandemic workforce adjustments also play a significant role.
A recent study by Anthropic found that AI systems are increasingly capable of performing tasks associated with finance, legal, and management functions, while also showing growing potential to impact engineering and sales roles over time.
Cloudflare’s move adds to the growing evidence that AI is influencing hiring strategies, workforce planning, and organisational structures across the technology industry.
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