Chris AdamsMar 15
“A Resume.org survey of 1,000 hiring managers found that 59% say they emphasize AI’s role in layoffs because it “is viewed more favorably by stakeholders than saying layoffs or hiring freezes are driven by financial constraints.” Only 9% said AI had fully replaced any roles. This is not a technology story; it’s a management honesty story that happens to involve technology.”
https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2026-03-13/the-ai-washing-of-job-cuts-is-corrosive-and-confusing
Show threadCharlie Stross6d ago

@acdha The article goes on to add, tellingly:

“We’re restructuring around AI” is a growth signal. “We over-hired during the pandemic and revenue softened” is an accountability signal.

Translation: the "AI is coming for your jobs" narrative is mostly based on a misreading of (lying) press releases about job cuts caused by an oncoming recession.

https://archive.is/20260313093508/https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2026-03-13/the-ai-washing-of-job-cuts-is-corrosive-and-confusing

Show threadRootWyrm 🇺🇦6d ago

@cstross the "over-hired" part is also total lies, and always has been. Everyone at the orgs KNOWS it's a total lie and they're still desperately understaffed and almost none of them hired ANYONE for any position.

It's all just bullshit excuses to try and pretend the train didn't leave the rails 15 months ago and there's absolutely no hope of getting it back on them.
One contact said their company is internally forecasting at 2x worse than 2008. Which I said is still laughably optimistic.

Show threadThe Doctor6d ago
@rootwyrm @cstross Over-hiring was indeed bullshit. When people still believed COVID was real there was a net loss of employees because folks were dying of it (or being disabled by it, later on) and replacements were not hired.
Show threadCharlie Stross6d ago
@drwho @rootwyrm Er, you know COVID *is* real and it's still killing people right now? Did you forget your sarcasm /s tag?
Show threadThe Doctor6d ago
@cstross @rootwyrm There probably should have been a /s there, yes. I'm still booting up. I was referring to the folks I keep running into since.. 2023, I think... Who claim that COVID was never actually a thing and "are glad I don't have to pretend anymore." Everywhere from western Pennsylvania to Texas to New Hampshire to Virginia to California.
Show threadCharlie Stross6d ago
@drwho @rootwyrm These people are idiots.
Show threadThe Doctor
@cstross @rootwyrm Yes, they are. They need extended courses of percussive therapy.
Mar 15 at 6:11pmWeb