It’s easy to feel like the robots are closing in on our jobs. Amazon just announced plans to cut 14,000 corporate roles. Goldman Sachs says it will trim more positions as AI drives efficiency. And in a twist that feels almost dystopian, Meta plans to cut around 600 jobs in its own AI division.
Because our jobs are our main source of financial stability, headlines like these naturally trigger anxiety. But after speaking with an economist, a tech analyst, and the head of a major consulting firm’s talent practice, I’m not convinced these layoffs are really about AI replacing people.
The data backs that up. Gartner analyzed global layoffs at 231 companies this year — roughly 241,000 jobs — and found that 79% of cuts had nothing to do with AI. And in cases where AI was mentioned, it was usually part of a strategic reshuffling — moving resources from some areas to others — not machines making humans obsolete. Less than 1% of layoffs were clearly tied to AI-driven productivity gains.
So why does it sound like AI is killing jobs?
Because companies benefit from saying so. Claiming layoffs are driven by AI makes leadership look efficient, innovative, and forward-thinking — even if they’re simply cutting costs. Meanwhile, most AI tools are shaving off minutes from workflows, not wiping out entire roles.
What’s actually happening right now is a softening labor market. The Fed noted that job growth is slowing and the average length of unemployment is rising. It’s a “no hire, no fire” environment: companies are cautious about adding staff but also wary of cutting too deeply.
In this climate, networking matters more than rapid-fire job applications. And ironically, the AI narrative can help you. Many companies know they need to adopt AI, but aren’t sure how. Showing you can use AI to streamline tasks — from sorting email to summarizing meetings — can make you stand out. Formal training is still limited, so this is an opportunity to position yourself as the AI-literate person in your workplace, much like early “social media managers” a decade ago.
As John Hazan of Bain put it, the future is not about competing with AI — it’s about partnering with it to amplify your value.
And in case you’re still uneasy, here’s the most practical tip I got — from a chatbot, fittingly:
Don’t try to outperform AI. Become the person who knows how to use it.