20260129 - The job losses are real, but the AI excuse is fake

Great Depression 2.0 gets under way

https://pivot-to-ai.com/2026/01/29/the-job-losses-are-real-but-the-ai-excuse-is-fake/ - blog post

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Sources:

• AI layoffs are looking more and more like corporate fiction that’s masking a darker reality, Oxford Economics suggests https://fortune.com/2026/01/07/ai-layoffs-convenient-corporate-fiction-true-false-oxford-economics-productivity/
• AI is not killing jobs, US study finds https://www.ft.com/content/c9f905a0-cbfc-4a0a-ac4f-0d68d0fc64aa
• Companies are blaming AI for job cuts. Critics say it’s a ‘good excuse’ https://www.cnbc.com/2025/10/19/firms-are-blaming-ai-for-job-cuts-critics-say-its-a-good-excuse.html
• The AI jobs crisis is here, now https://www.bloodinthemachine.com/p/the-ai-jobs-crisis-is-here-now
• AI Killed My Job: Tech workers https://www.bloodinthemachine.com/p/how-ai-is-killing-jobs-in-the-tech-f39?utm_source=publication-search
• Managers are throwing entry-level workers under the bus in race to adopt AI https://www.theregister.com/2025/10/10/ai_is_displacing_entrylevel_professionals/
• AI layoffs to backfire: Half quietly rehired at lower pay https://www.theregister.com/2025/10/29/forrester_ai_rehiring/
• AI today is literally not capable of replacing the senior engineers they are laying off https://bsky.app/profile/lizthegrey.com/post/3lvkw2mdmn22u
• Trump orders firing of department head after weak US jobs growth report https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cpqvdxzwv22t?post=asset%3A46907b3a-47b1-4385-a53b-28e4a99b882a#post
• Stop Gen AI https://stopgenai.com/
• Se os usuários reparam em seu software, você já perdeu https://manualdousuario.net/software-olhe-para-mim/

Previously on Pivot to AI:

• In 2025, venture capital can’t pretend everything is fine any more https://pivot-to-ai.com/2025/05/03/in-2025-venture-capital-cant-pretend-everything-is-fine-any-more/
• video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcSnLt6Knbs&list=UU9rJrMVgcXTfa8xuMnbhAEA
• Duolingo replaces its contractors with AI, courses with slop https://pivot-to-ai.com/2025/05/04/duolingo-replaces-its-contractors-with-ai-courses-with-slop/
• video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4hYEhKP150&list=UU9rJrMVgcXTfa8xuMnbhAEA
• Firing people for AI is not going so well https://pivot-to-ai.com/2025/05/26/firing-people-for-ai-not-going-so-well/
• video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7M8fI7JvXs&list=UU9rJrMVgcXTfa8xuMnbhAEA
• AI winter is in the air! But we think the AI bubble keeps going until 2027 https://pivot-to-ai.com/2025/08/23/ai-winter-is-in-the-air-but-we-think-the-ai-bubble-keeps-going-until-2027/
• video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vp1-3Ypmr1Y&list=UU9rJrMVgcXTfa8xuMnbhAEA
• Whoops! Microsoft’s new Windows AI agent platform lets in malware https://pivot-to-ai.com/2025/11/19/whoops-microsofts-new-windows-ai-agent-platform-lets-in-malware/
• video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAeNFkZJVxc&list=UU9rJrMVgcXTfa8xuMnbhAEA

Full Pivot to AI playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=UU9rJrMVgcXTfa8xuMnbhAEA