Ask HN: Are tech layoffs due to AI displacing or due to AI pilots failing?

2 westurner 5 8/21/2025, 2:36:32 PM

"90% of game developers are working with LLMs"

"90% of corporate AI pilots have failed"

"Entry-level engineers can't get hired" for expecting to AI things or for not knowing qualified engineer things like data structures, algorithms, refactoring theory and terminology?

Are tech layoffs due to AI displacing or due to AI pilots failing?

Comments (5)

dustingetz · 3h ago

tech layoffs have nothing to do with AI; the business has realized that they are not getting the expected marginal increase in returns for marginal headcount expansion, and while historically layoffs can cause brand damage and need to be avoided, the mainstream media is giving companies a pass because everybody is doing it

al2o3cr · 3h ago

Tech layoffs and failing AI pilots have the same root cause: Business Idiots in leadership who believe that blindly doing whatever BigCo just did will automatically make Line Go Up.

westurner · 2h ago

Has tech investment growth slowed as focus has shifted to defense ETFs and the new 5% NATO defense spending target and trite solveable cold war bs?

westurner · 3h ago

(I'm with the "you're going to have to hire those back when you realize what's happened to code quality and maintainability" camp.)

rvz · 2h ago

This.