Part 3/9:
However, not all voices agree that AI is the sole reason behind layoffs. Thomas Roulet, a professor at Cambridge University, argues that AI’s role might be exaggerated. According to him, AI is used as a smokescreen, masking deeper financial or strategic problems.
Unmaterialized Efficiency Gains
Roulet suggests that companies are primarily firing employees without necessarily realizing the claimed efficiency gains from AI yet. In other words, layoffs are often speculative, justified by future potential rather than proven results. This view challenges the narrative that AI has already made significant impacts on productivity to such an extent that mass firing is justified.