will.i.am teaches students to build AI agents as layoffs sweep the industry

will.i.am, founder of the Black Eyed Peas, is teaching a course on building AI agents to 75 college students in Hollywood. Meanwhile, the industry is going through one of the largest waves of layoffs in its history.

Training in an era of transformation

The musician and entrepreneur chose an unusual venue for teaching: Hollywood Recording Studio. The course focuses on the hands-on creation of AI agents that automate complex tasks. Students learn to design systems that run with minimal human involvement. For the generation entering the labor market, this knowledge is becoming critically important.

will.i.am is known for his interest in technology and social issues. In this course he combines both, preparing students not just for a career but for rethinking the role of humans in the age of automation.

The industry is losing jobs

While students learn to build agents, the industry itself is going through unprecedented cuts. In the first four months of 2026, there were more than 73,000 layoffs. These are not just numbers: they are engineers, product managers and analysts who sought stability at technology companies.

• More than 73,000 layoffs in the first 4 months of 2026
• Cuts affect every level, from startups to large corporations
• AI agents are replacing positions that involve routine automation
• Retraining is becoming a necessity, not an option

This contrast is no accident. The industry is investing in AI that displaces jobs, but doing very little to retrain the employees it displaces.

Agents are displacing people

AI agents are systems that carry out chains of tasks without constant human intervention. They analyze data, make decisions and perform operations inside other systems. Agents that write code, process requests and run data analysis are already on the market.

The positions most exposed to automation are precisely those that can be broken down into clear algorithmic steps. Many of the laid-off employees held exactly such positions.

What this means

The course will.i.am is teaching reflects a new reality: the future of work lies not in resisting automation, but in learning to build it and manage it. This is retraining on a generational scale.

Those who learn to build agents will gain power over the tools; those who stay at the level of performing tasks that agents can automate will find themselves vulnerable.