The growing dominance of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its impact on the job market has taken a tragic turn in Bengaluru. On Monday, a 32-year-old software engineer, Bhanuchandra Reddy, was found dead in his apartment. Minutes after hearing the news, his wife, an employee at IBM, ended her life by jumping from the 17th floor of their residential building. This dual suicide has sparked a massive debate over the mental health crisis and job insecurity in the tech industry.

Investigations revealed that Reddy had previously worked in the USA but lost his job a year ago due to AI-driven restructuring in his company. Despite several attempts, he was unable to find stable employment as AI began replacing roles in his domain. This prolonged unemployment led to severe financial strain and mental exhaustion. Furthermore, the couple faced isolation from Reddy’s family. His father, a prominent political leader in Telangana, had refused to accept their inter-faith marriage, cutting off all emotional and financial support.

Police recovered a suicide note where Reddy took full responsibility for his actions, urging authorities not to blame his wife. The tragedy highlights a chilling statistic: globally, nearly 78,000 tech professionals have lost their jobs to AI, with reports suggesting that up to 9.2 million roles could be redundant by 2030. The Bengaluru incident serves as a grim reminder of the human cost of rapid technological shifts. Local authorities are continuing their investigation into the family dynamics and the extent of the financial crisis the couple was facing.