We spoke to the media about AI and jobs. A message from the CEO.

Last week, I shared Vulse's story with a news agency. I wanted to have an honest conversation about how AI is changing small businesses like mine. Honestly, I was excited that someone wanted to tell our story. We've worked incredibly hard to build Vulse, and I was proud to talk about what we'd achieved.

The headlines that followed focused on how we'd reduced our workforce by more than half and replaced people with AI. That isn't quite the full picture, so I wanted to explain a little more. But first, I understand why people were upset. If I'd read those headlines about another business, I'd probably have had questions too.

I recognise that some of my own comments contributed to that impression. I was so focused on explaining what AI had made possible for our business that I didn't properly consider how my words might affect the people who helped build it.

What actually happened to our team

Over the past three or four years, our team has changed considerably. People have left for different reasons. Some moved on to other opportunities, some contracts came to an end, and some roles were no longer needed.

It wasn't a case of deciding to replace nine people with AI overnight. As people left, we looked at whether we needed to recruit again. Increasingly, advances in AI meant that some of the tasks we'd previously needed people to carry out could be supported by technology. So, in some cases, we chose not to replace those roles. AI absolutely influenced those decisions, and I don't want to pretend otherwise.

But there's a difference between actively dismissing employees to replace them with technology and deciding not to recruit again when people leave. Some of the people who previously worked with us full-time still work with Vulse today, just on a different basis. They've embraced AI themselves and remain an important part of what we're building.

What I got wrong

One of the things I said in the original interview was that AI could do a better job than our employees. I regret saying that. Those were my words, and I take responsibility for them.

People bring an enormous range of skills, experience, creativity and judgement to a business. What I was trying to explain was that technology had become capable of carrying out some of the specific tasks we needed more efficiently. That's a very different point, and I didn't communicate it well enough.

I also spoke about the financial savings and growth we'd achieved. Those are important things for a small business, but I can see how talking about them alongside changes to our workforce made it sound as though we were celebrating people losing their jobs. We weren't, and we aren't.

Those figures might tell a story about how our business has changed, but they don't tell the story of the people who worked here. People gave their time, energy and ideas to Vulse. They helped us through the early days and played a part in getting the business to where it is today.

I should have acknowledged that rather than focusing so heavily on savings and efficiencies. I'm sorry, particularly to anyone who has worked with us and felt their contribution was being reduced to a cost on a spreadsheet.

AI and the people it affects

Vulse is a social technology business using AI to compete as a small business. It's an integral part of who we are, and I'm proud of how we've embraced it. It's helped us compete with much larger businesses and achieve things that would previously have been difficult for a company of our size.

But I also recognise that AI is creating real uncertainty for people, particularly those entering the workforce or working in roles where technology is advancing quickly. These aren't abstract concerns. They're people's jobs, mortgages, families and futures. And that's something I didn't give enough consideration to when speaking to the press.

As a founder, I get to talk about the opportunities and efficiencies. For someone whose role has changed or disappeared, the experience can be very different. I've spent the past few days dealing with criticism. Others have had to deal with much more significant consequences of changes to their working lives. That deserves far more attention than whether I've had a difficult few days on social media.

Why I'll keep talking about AI

I do think it's important that business owners talk openly about what's happening with AI. Across the country, businesses are changing how they operate, the skills they need and the roles they recruit for. Our experience is one example of that change. But I'm certainly not suggesting that other businesses should follow our approach or reduce their workforces. Every business is different, and every decision about employment has consequences for real people.

I'll continue talking about AI and the future of work because I think it's an important conversation, particularly for small businesses. I've also spoken to BBC Radio Manchester about our experience, which is due to be shared next week.

I don't regret embracing AI. It's helped us build a business I'm incredibly proud of. But I do regret how I spoke about some of the people who helped us get here. I was excited to share our story and got carried away talking about the commercial benefits without giving enough thought to the human side. That's something I've learned from.

To everyone who has worked at Vulse, past and present: thank you. Whatever technology we use today, this business wouldn't exist without the people who helped build it. I should have made that much clearer from the beginning.

Rob Illidge, Founder and CEO, Vulse