How many of the companies that have recently made layoffs have truly adapted their employees to the efficiencies and challenges of artificial intelligence? And how many of them were just using AI as an excuse to cover other problems?
This is the question raised by a New York Times article about the trend of “AI cleaning,” where companies cite AI as a reason for layoffs that may actually be caused by other factors, such as overhiring during the pandemic.
AI has been explicitly blamed for more than 50,000 layoffs in 2025, and Amazon and Pinterest are among the tech companies that have blamed technology for recent layoffs.
However, a Forrester report published in January asserts that “many companies that announced AI-related layoffs do not have mature, vetted AI applications ready to fill those roles, highlighting a trend of ‘AI washing’, driven by financially motivated layoffs for future AI implementations.”
Molly Kinder, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, said saying the layoffs were caused by AI is a “very investor-friendly message,” especially since it might mean acknowledging that the alternative is “bad business.”
