Two years after cutting nearly 80% of staff for lagging on AI, IgniteTech’s CEO says he’d make the same call

IgniteTech chief executive Eric Vaughan replaced nearly 80% of the enterprise software firm’s workforce in 2023–24 after employees resisted an aggressive shift to generative AI, according to headcount figures reviewed by Fortune. Vaughan instituted “AI Mondays” and dedicated roughly 20% of payroll to training and tools but says efforts met widespread resistance—and even sabotage—prompting sweeping personnel changes. He maintains AI poses an existential challenge for every company and contends the overhaul was necessary to compete. The company brought in outside experts and reimbursed for AI tools and classes, extending mandates beyond engineering to sales and marketing. Two years on, Vaughan says he would make the same decision again, underscoring a broader corporate debate over how quickly to push AI adoption and at what human cost.

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