Bloomberg Opinion 2026-03-15-3
The AI-Washing of Job Cuts Is Corrosive and Confusing
Sixty percent of executives cut headcount in anticipation of AI efficiencies; two percent cut because AI actually replaced the work. That 30:1 ratio is the AI-washing gap in one stat: companies are using AI as narrative cover for pandemic-era overhiring corrections, and the market is rewarding it (Block up 22% post-layoffs). The deeper corrosion: every company that cries AI for financial restructuring trains the market to discount genuine AI deployment claims when they arrive.