Proton plans staff AI interviews that could affect jobs
The Swiss company says it is hiring and wants to identify employees who need support, following reporting on internal plans by 404 Media.
Proton plans to interview selected employees about their use of artificial intelligence, with assessments potentially affecting their roles or employment, 404 Media reported, citing an internal email. The interviews at the Swiss company behind Proton Mail are scheduled for 4 to 11 November.
Chief executive Andy Yen has already interviewed more than 40 senior engineering and product leaders. Employees selected for the next stage will meet a leader from outside their own team who has demonstrated AI proficiency. Written assessments will feed into a broader review, according to the email.
Proton said on Reddit that it was not using AI to justify layoffs, TechRadar reported. The company said it was recruiting, faced a shortage of talent and wanted to identify staff who needed additional support.
The investigation by 404 Media drew on accounts from nine current and former employees, internal communications and meeting recordings. It reported that Yen had urged engineers to replace manual coding with AI tools.
Chief technology officer Bart Butler told a meeting that AI generated 90% of Proton’s code in October, according to audio obtained by 404 Media. Employees said much of that work used Anthropic’s Claude. Proton also installed software to measure AI-generated code on employees’ computers.
An internal document indicated Proton was falling short of its annual recurring revenue target, blaming the pace of work. A company spokesperson did not dispute 404 Media’s reporting and acknowledged shortcomings in how management communicated its push to move faster.
