OpenAI released “Strawberry 2” (o1-successor) in September, a massive high for scientific research. The model successfully solved several unsolved chemistry problems. However, the month hit a low for the workforce as several major consulting firms announced 15% staff reductions, citing the efficiency gains from these reasoning models. The “displacement” talk became a reality, sparking protests and calls for a universal basic income as the efficiency of AI began to outpace human upskilling.