From an evolutionary standpoint, it’s ruthlessly efficient. The queen collects sperm from multiple drones in one flight, stores it for years, and then spends her life laying up to 2,000 eggs a day.

Companies such as Target, Amazon, and Citi have said they're trimming staff this year. Pinterest, for one, cited AI as a factor in its decision to shed less than 15% of its workforce. See the list of ...