Stories
AI and Job Losses Emerge as Major Flashpoint in US Politics
- •President Donald Trump has pushed for the US to accelerate artificial intelligence ambitions while dismissing safety threats as a hoax.
- •Major tech and corporate giants including Meta, Cloudflare, Coinbase, Atlassian, and Nike have cut thousands of jobs while pivoting toward AI investments.
- •Data from TrueUp shows massive tech layoffs, with over 245,000 workers losing jobs in 2025 and 185,000 in 2026 by the time figures were cited.
- •The economic disruption and job security concerns are turning rapid AI advancement into a critical issue ahead of the US midterm elections.
Key Questions Answered
President Donald Trump wants the United States to accelerate its artificial intelligence ambitions rather than slow them down, dismissing warnings about AI as a hoax and arguing that additional guardrails could weaken America's competitive position. He believes the country needs a strong leader instead of extra safeguards to manage AI risks.
Several companies have identified AI adoption or investment as part of their restructuring plans. Meta cut around 8,000 jobs and closed 6,000 vacant positions, Cloudflare cut over 1,100 jobs, and Atlassian eliminated about 1,600 positions to help finance AI investment. Other firms like Coinbase, Nike, Snap, and Oracle have also carried out significant workforce reductions alongside heavy spending on AI infrastructure.
Roughly 11 million American workers, or about 7% of the current workforce, may need to change jobs by 2035 because of artificial intelligence-related displacement, according to a study by consulting firm McKinsey & Co. This transition could triple the number of US workers who change occupations each year over the next decade.
