Krishna said IBM has no intention of laying off tech staff, such as developers or programmers, and instead plans to ramp up hiring for roles in these areas.

 "I don't intend to get rid of a single one…I'll get more," he said.

 Krishna added that the company aims to increase the number of software engineering and sales staff over the next four years to accommodate for its heightened focus on generative AI. Instead, any hiring hammers will fall on staff working in back-office operations.

Earlier this year, IBM announced plans to cut nearly 8,000 staff working in positions spanning human resources to automate roles. The move means that anywhere up to 7,800 jobs at the tech giant's HR division could be cut, equivalent to around 30 per cent of the overall workforce in the unit.

In an interview with CNBC in August, Krishna suggested "we should all feel better" about the influx of generative AI tools, much to the ire of critics worried about its impact on the labour market.

Krishna told the broadcaster that organisations can deliver marked improvements to productivity through generative AI, but that will come at the expense of human roles.