What if you opened your work email and read this: no raise this year. Not because the company is failing. Not because your team did something wrong. The money is going to AI.
That is not just a movie story. In January 2026, software company Teradata told about 5,100 employees that there would be no annual salary raises in 2026, because the company was moving that budget to AI investment. Later, Teradata also said it was actively investing in AI products and services. (fortune.com)
Now picture one worker. Let’s call her Mika. She buys coffee before work. She pays rent. She buys food. Everything feels a little more expensive. She still has her job, but the raise she expected is gone. And in the real U.S. economy, prices in May 2026 were 4.2% higher than a year earlier, so a flat salary can feel smaller in everyday life. (bls.gov)
And Teradata is not alone. TTEC, a customer experience company, paused its U.S. 401(k) match, or company retirement contribution, through the end of 2026 as it looked for room to invest in AI tools, automation, and training. This is happening while the bigger AI race keeps growing. Gartner says worldwide AI spending could reach $2.59 trillion in 2026, and Teneo says 68% of CEOs plan to increase AI spending this year. (fortune.com)
So maybe the work question is changing. It is not only, “Will AI change my job?” Now it may also be, “Will AI take this year’s raise?” Companies say they are building the future. Workers still ask a very human question: when the future comes, who pays first? (fortune.com)










