Part 6/10:
One critical factor in the AI-driven layoffs discussion is global labor dynamics. In the US, there's considerable political pressure to bring jobs back home, with concerns over outsourcing and H1B visa policies. Companies might attribute layoffs to AI as cover for offshoring or cost-cutting measures, especially in countries like India, where large tech firms are also implementing AI to replace both domestic and offshore workers.
The trend of offshoring predates AI but is now being compounded by AI’s ability to perform tasks traditionally outsourced, such as documentation translation, code support, and tech troubleshooting. This translation of AI capacity across geographies further pressures the job market worldwide.