AI washing? Altman says layoffs are being blamed on AI
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman isn't buying the trend of companies blaming AI for job cuts that are really about saving money or fixing overhiring.
At the India AI Impact Summit, he said, "There's some AI washing where people are blaming AI for layoffs that they would otherwise do."
While Altman admits AI is changing jobs and some roles will disappear, he also believes new opportunities will show up as tech evolves.
AI washing?
Big names like Amazon, IBM, Microsoft, Salesforce, and HP have all pointed to AI when announcing layoffs—but in some cases, companies such as Amazon, IBM and Microsoft later recontextualized those statements as part of broader staffing decisions.
With only about 7% of US layoffs in January 2026 explicitly citing AI (according to Challenger, Gray & Christmas), it's fair to question if "AI washing" is just a convenient excuse.
Altman leads OpenAI
Altman leads OpenAI.