Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think Morrisons should be boycotted over their AI adoption?

134 replies

RobynRB · 14/04/2026 23:55

Today Morrisons announced 200 head office redundancies due to AI adoption. I say we should boycott them as a warning to other supermarkets and companies not to go down this route. I know we are told this is inevitable and everyone just seems to be rolling over and let it happen, but we should at least try and the only weapon we really have is voting with our pounds (while we still have them).
Because honestly if you believe that we're all going to be sitting around spending free money while AI does all the work you need your head looking at.

OP posts:
OonaStubbs · 15/04/2026 00:47

YABU. IMO we should go back to "Open All Hours" style shops where the shopkeeper has to get you the individual grocery items from behind the counter. And there should be individual greengrocers, fishmongers, butchers etc instead of supermarkets. This would provide far more jobs and more high quality food.

TheDorisCollective · 15/04/2026 00:38

@RobynRB I don't understand your point. Do you think that groceries should cost more money because head office is inefficient? If you want to spend more money on your weekly shop then you can always go to Fortnum & Mason

CharleneElizabethBaltimore · 15/04/2026 00:36

RobynRB · 15/04/2026 00:11

Regardless of this case, I am sure once the unemployed level gets to a certain point there will be boycotts of companies who announce redundancies due to AI. And also probably damage to robots etc... it was pretty much laid out in 'Humans' years ago.
Never mind James Cameron tried to warn us in 1984.

then at somepoint society will have to switch to a universial basic income or have a whole new economic model, because why would any company employ people if theres no profits to be gained from it

CharleneElizabethBaltimore · 15/04/2026 00:34

if you wanted more people employed then we needed to realise this years ago, basically the train has left the station and now theres no stopping it

BeanQuisine · 15/04/2026 00:23

What were the "200 head office" employees actually doing?

RobynRB · 15/04/2026 00:11

Regardless of this case, I am sure once the unemployed level gets to a certain point there will be boycotts of companies who announce redundancies due to AI. And also probably damage to robots etc... it was pretty much laid out in 'Humans' years ago.
Never mind James Cameron tried to warn us in 1984.

OP posts:
RobynRB · 15/04/2026 00:09

It could also be utter bullshit. It could be that they are making redundancies to save money and the AI thing is just a smokescreen to make it look like they are being 'efficient' rather than just 'failing'. Apparently companies are doing this now because this way it keeps their share price up, whereas announcing redundancies usually gives off negative vibes.

OP posts:
Xkk · 15/04/2026 00:06

My local Morrisons employs people with disabilities. I see more people that are either autistic or have other issues then in any supermarket I have ever been. And they sell wonky vegetables and fruits. On this basis I will alawys support them and I have great respect for them. I realise though it might just my local, I don't know.

OneTealMentor · 15/04/2026 00:02

We should also all demand that a human serves us at tills rather than the self service ones..I hate it when I have a trolley of items and they wont open up any tills