Executives are increasingly blaming artificial intelligence for sweeping layoffs even when the technology is barely in place, Forrester has warned, with analyst J.P. Gownder saying that in 'nine out of 10' such cases the AI capability behind those cuts simply does not exist.
The news came after a wave of job reductions at some of the world's biggest employers, many of which have been wrapped in the language of automation and digital reinvention. Nike has announced around 1,400 job cuts tied to restructuring and streamlining. Meta has reportedly moved to shed about 8,000 roles while spending heavily on AI infrastructure. Microsoft continues to reconfigure teams around AI priorities. On paper, this looks like a textbook technological revolution. Forrester's analysis suggests something more prosaic is often going on.
