A growing list of companies on both sides of the Atlantic are attributing layoffs to artificial intelligence, but some experts say the technology is becoming an easy alibi for tougher business choices. Accenture is accelerating exits for workers who can’t reskill in AI, Lufthansa plans to cut 4,000 jobs by 2030 as it leans on automation, and Salesforce said AI now handles roughly half of certain tasks—moves echoed by Klarna and Duolingo. Critics, including Oxford’s Fabian Stephany, argue firms are “scapegoating” AI to mask pandemic-era overhiring and broader cost pressures. Fresh data back the caution: a Yale Budget Lab study finds little AI-driven disruption in U.S. employment since late 2022, while New York Fed surveys show AI uptake rising but only 1% of services firms citing it as a reason for recent layoffs. Companies say they’re redeploying staff and hiring selectively as they retool for AI, suggesting reskilling—not mass displacement—remains the dominant trend.
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