AI Replaced 80% of the Team. Was It Worth It?

Is replacing employees with AI the smartest way to transform a business, or are companies overlooking the value of their existing workforce? In this episode of FinTech Focus TV, Toby Babb, CEO of Harrington Starr, is joined by Krishna Nadella, Head of US Financial Services at ITRS, to discuss AI replacing jobs, agentic AI in financial services and the future of work in FinTech. Drawing on his experience at SigTech, Krishna explains how the company went from approximately 60 employees to just 12 during its transition towards AI, with AI agents supporting the remaining workforce. Reflecting on this experience, he considers how businesses can balance automation with human expertise and whether retaining more employees alongside AI could create greater opportunities for growth. As artificial intelligence transforms financial services, organisations are rethinking their workforce strategies, recruitment priorities and approaches to productivity. Krishna explores the difference between using AI primarily to reduce costs and investing in technology that empowers employees, accelerates innovation and supports long-term business growth. The conversation also examines the distinction between AI spectators and operators, highlighting why critical thinking, creativity and adaptability are becoming increasingly important for FinTech professionals. From graduate employment to evolving skills requirements, Krishna and Toby discuss how AI is influencing financial services careers and the future of work. Krishna shares how ITRS is applying agentic AI to financial technology monitoring and observability, including the development of AI-powered site reliability engineering capabilities to support operational efficiency in complex financial services environments. Will AI replace more jobs, or will the companies that empower their employees with AI gain the greatest advantage? --------------------------------------------------------------- Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to Krishna Nadella and ITRS 01:12 Agentic AI in financial services 04:18 AI jobs and opportunities in FinTech 05:36 Krishna's AI journey and Artificially Intelligent 12:14 AI spectators vs operators 15:32 Why human skills still matter in the AI era 18:42 AI and the future of graduate careers 20:16 AI replacing jobs vs empowering employees 23:24 How SigTech went from 60 employees to 12 26:38 The future of AI, FinTech jobs and business growth