Science & Tech · Big Tech & Internet · 5 hrs ago
Proton drops staff AI interviews and promises no AI-related job losses
Swiss software company Proton reversed plans to re-interview staff about AI use after criticism over a leaked internal memo.
Proton makes privacy-focused services including Proton Mail and Proton VPN.
The memo, written by Chief Technology Officer Bart Butler, urged engineers to use AI models and agents as part of their work.
Proton said there will be no job losses linked to AI use and that it does not track how much AI-generated code employees produce.
It also promised that AI use will never come at the expense of security.
To show how it works, the company said it will release some internal tools as open source and explain its code and security review processes.
Butler’s manifesto says engineers still need experience and judgment, even as their work changes; Proton has not set out when it will publish the promised material.
Proton says it will not re-interview employees about their AI use and will not make job cuts related to AI use.
The Swiss-based privacy software company also says AI use will not come at the expense of security.
The promises followed a leaked report that AI use would be pushed through the company, with job losses threatened for staff who did not comply.
Proton CTO Bart Butler published an AI engineering manifesto setting out how he expects engineers to work with AI.
Proton says it will release some internal tools and publish details of its code and security reviews.
- Who
- Proton, a Swiss-based privacy software company, and its employees.
- What
- Proton says it will not re-interview staff about AI use or make AI-related job cuts. It also promises AI use will not compromise security.
- When
- The promises were reported on 2 November 2026. Butler published the manifesto on Sunday, 1 November.
- Where
- Switzerland; the company’s statement was posted on X and the manifesto was published on Proton’s blog.
- Why
- Proton says it had not met the standard its community should expect after a leaked report described pressure on staff to use AI and threats of job losses.
Proton
Claims in the leaked report
AI-related job losses
Proton
Proton says there will be no job losses related to AI use.
Claims in the leaked report
The leaked report said staff could face job losses if they did not comply with pressure to use AI.
Staff interviews
Proton
Proton says it will not re-interview employees about their AI use.
Claims in the leaked report
The leaked report described plans to re-interview staff about AI use.
Butler sent staff the AI @ Proton, Engineering Manifesto.
A story about the leaked email was published.
Butler published details of the manifesto on the company blog.
Proton announced it would not re-interview staff about AI use and would not make AI-related job cuts.
- Company
- Proton
- Headquarters
- Switzerland
- Statement date
- 2 November 2026
- Manifesto author
- Bart Butler, Proton CTO
- Staff AI interviews
- Proton says it will not re-interview employees
- AI-related job losses
- Proton promises there will be none
What people are saying
Your job has fundamentally changed. It is no longer to write code, and LLMs are not here to help you write better code faster
Your job is to help the LLM write better code faster. Every engineer is now a team leader, a manager, and your direct reports are the models and agents you use.
This is not the death of expertise. The LLM is fast. You are slow, but you carry with you a lifetime of experience, judgment calls, and understanding.
use of AI will never be at the expense of security
Posts on X
Hey everyone, we have heard your concerns about Proton’s AI strategy and culture and after internal discussions, we want to share a few things with you. First, Proton does not install tracking software on employees' laptops to measure how much AI-generated code they produce.