Or layoffs actually. A while ago, some asshole with a blog noted:

Every day, there’s a new story about how AI is letting bosses lay off workers. Some of this might actually be true, but it’s also about disciplining the workforce. But one thing should be absolutely clear, the loss of jobs and the adoption of ‘AI’, especially in the tech sector, which predates the commercial advent of AI, is also about the U.S. Tax Code, specifically Section 174…

Maybe ‘AI’ will massively improve how efficient businesses are, but it really seems like the answer to how can bosses get away with cutting payroll. While employers always like to discipline labor, we should be clear that clamping down on payrolls preceeded AI, and is a result of a Republican budget gimmick–which allowed massive tax cuts for the rich and screwed over both the (upper) middle class as well as stifling startups. The big companies can take the hit, but small ones got crushed. In a sense, AI does solve a problem: how do we keep investors happy while Republican policies make it harder to turn a profit. Maybe, from the investors’ perspective, this will work, but there’s a good chance that the push for AI is just kicking the can down the road.

Well, that leftwing radical magazine known as Fortune reports something similar (boldface mine):

Despite breathless headlines warning of a robot takeover in the workforce, a new research briefing from Oxford Economics casts doubt on the narrative that artificial intelligence is currently causing mass unemployment. According to the firm’s analysis, “firms don’t appear to be replacing workers with AI on a significant scale,” suggesting instead that companies may be using the technology as a cover for routine headcount reductions.

In a January 7 report, the research firm argued that, while anecdotal evidence of job displacement exists, the macroeconomic data does not support the idea of a structural shift in employment caused by automation. Instead, it points to a more cynical corporate strategy: “We suspect some firms are trying to dress up layoffs as a good news story rather than bad news, such as past over-hiring.”

The primary motivation for this rebranding of job cuts appears to be investor relations. The report notes that attributing staff reductions to AI adoption “conveys a more positive message to investors” than admitting to traditional business failures, such as weak consumer demand or “excessive hiring in the past.” By framing layoffs as a technological pivot, companies can present themselves as forward-thinking innovators rather than businesses struggling with cyclical downturns.

Leaving aside the technological virtuosity of things called AI, for business, it was always about how to turn an overinvestment/tax code change frown upside down. It probably won’t do much except kick the earnings issues can down the road, and it really doesn’t seem like it will be good for consumers.