WiseTech CEO targeted after AI layoffs trigger security scare

Australian software giant WiseTech has tightened security at its Sydney headquarters after a handwritten death threat was allegedly sent to CEO Zubin Appoo, escalating tensions surrounding the company's controversial AI-driven job cuts, as reported by MSN.

The threat, which reportedly contained personal information and offensive remarks about members of Appoo's family, is now being investigated by police.

According to the Australian Financial Review, WiseTech founder Richard White informed employees of the incident in an internal email sent on Sunday.

White said the company had already been dealing with "several serious and deeply concerning incidents involving personal attacks". However, he revealed that "in the past week, this escalated into a handwritten threat of violence made against our CEO, Zubin Appoo, containing personal information and offensive comments directed at members of his family."

He added that the company moved quickly to strengthen security measures at its Sydney office because of the seriousness of the threat and had contacted authorities.

Layoff turmoil

The security scare comes amid growing anger over WiseTech's restructuring programme.

Employees were first informed in February that around 2,000 jobs, nearly a third of the workforce, would be cut. However, the company did not initially reveal which roles would be affected, leaving staff in limbo for months.

Confusion intensified this week when workers received emails informing them their roles had been "impacted". Just two hours later, they were asked to provide personal email addresses so discussions could continue.

According to reports, the firm’s IT team later removed the original messages from employee inboxes and replaced them with a similar notice. Staff were then given only 15 minutes to provide the requested information.

The process sparked frustration among employees already facing uncertainty about their futures.

AI push

The backlash has been fuelled by WiseTech's strong commitment to artificial intelligence.

Appoo has previously told investors he expects "further efficiency gains" as AI technology develops.

White has also publicly championed automation. Speaking at an investment conference earlier this month, he said AI systems could complete training in minutes that would normally take human workers weeks.

He added: "it doesn't take much effort to convince people, in the end, that they're stupid to be paying $100 for labour when you can pay $2 for the AI."

The company has also introduced an "AI agent credo", reflecting its growing focus on automation.

Under the initiative, White declared: "Capacity is no longer constrained by people or time."

Morale slumps

As the company embraces AI, employee morale has reportedly deteriorated.

Workers say they are being asked to continue performing their duties while simultaneously helping deploy technology that could eventually replace them.

"People are being told to keep delivering as usual, while also helping roll out the AI tools that are supposedly meant to replace them," one employee told The Guardian.

"All of this while everyone's left waiting to find out if they're in the 50%."

The uncertainty has intensified concerns across the workforce as redundancies continue.

Wider debate

The WiseTech incident highlights growing tensions surrounding AI-driven job losses across industries.

Businesses worldwide are increasingly turning to automation to improve efficiency and cut costs. However, the shift is also raising concerns about workforce displacement and employee wellbeing.

Only weeks ago, Standard Chartered CEO Bill Winters faced criticism after describing employees vulnerable to automation as "lower-value human capital".

The remarks triggered a backlash from staff and forced Winters to issue both an internal explanation and a public apology.

The latest events at WiseTech show how debates over AI and employment are becoming increasingly heated, with concerns now extending beyond job security to personal safety.