AI disruption prompts Australia’s WiseTech to cut a third of global workforce

Australian software firm WiseTech Global announced on February 25, 2026, plans to cut approximately 2,000 jobs, nearly a third of its global workforce, as part of a two-year restructuring driven by artificial intelligence disruption across its operations. The company, which makes shipping and logistics management software, revealed the workforce reduction while reporting better-than-expected first-half profit, causing its shares to close 11.1% higher at A$47.74, while Australia's benchmark S&P ASX 200 rose 1.2%. The layoffs represent one of Australia's largest artificial intelligence-linked job reductions and highlight the rapid transformation of workplaces globally as automation tools increasingly handle routine administrative work and complex coding tasks. Last month, Amazon announced 16,000 job cuts worldwide in a second round of redundancies, adding to a wave of workforce reductions by U.S. companies across sectors this year. WiseTech operates across 40 countries with approximately 7,000 employees and plans to integrate AI into both its customer software and internal operations. The restructuring will particularly affect product and development teams, as well as customer service roles across the organization, with some divisions potentially seeing their workforce reduced by up to half. Among the hardest hit will be WiseTech's U.S. cloud computing arm, E2open, which the company acquired in August 2025 for $2.1 billion. 'Software development has experienced its most significant shift in decades,' stated WiseTech Chief Executive Officer Zubin Appoo. 'The era of manually writing code as the core act of engineering is over.' Despite the significant workforce reduction, WiseTech reported strong financial performance with first-half underlying net profit of $114.5 million, exceeding market expectations by 6%. The company also announced an interim dividend of 6.8 cents while reaffirming its full-year outlook. However, WiseTech's shares remain 68% below their November 2024 peak, as allegations surrounding founder and former CEO Richard White, including claims of payments to an alleged former lover, have fueled an investor exodus. Concerns about how AI would affect the software maker have also contributed to the stock's underperformance. Analysts remain optimistic about the company's long-term prospects, with Marc Jocum from Global X ETFs noting that 'the underlying trajectory remains sustainable despite near-term disruption.'