Ford AI hiccups push carmaker to rehire ‘gray beard’ inspectors • Hacker News Board

Re: Ford AI hiccups push carmaker to rehire ‘gray beard’ inspectors

#161

Post by taormina » Thu, Jun 25, 2026, 4:32 PM UTC

dsjoerg wrote: post #151

khriss wrote: post #57

Interestingly, there were no consequences for the execs that made this 'mistake'. There seems to be almost unlimited cover for execs cargo culting on using AI as a pretext for layoffs. If it doesn't implode almost immediately, they get massive bonuses, if it blows up in their face, oh well they had the courage to 'take a bold strategic decision' In other words, they don't really have a plan, but they are happy playin…

> Interestingly, there were no consequences for the execs that made this 'mistake' The article makes no such claim. What is your source? Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. Or, are you just making things up that you believe are likely, like an AI would?

If they didn’t get canned, the slap on the wrist is the cost of doing business. If we all agree to investigate ourselves and we’re all very disappointed in what happened, what a shame!

If you say something is illegal and costs $X as a fine, you don’t curb behavior, they just bake the fine into their business model.

Re: Ford AI hiccups push carmaker to rehire ‘gray beard’ inspectors

#162

Post by namuol » Thu, Jun 25, 2026, 4:33 PM UTC

Over-hiring during the bygone era of free money is now seeing an overcorrection. AI is a true if small part of it, but mainly it’s an excuse that doubles as posturing to the investor hive-mind.

Re: Ford AI hiccups push carmaker to rehire ‘gray beard’ inspectors

#163

Post by ultrarunner » Thu, Jun 25, 2026, 4:33 PM UTC

sneak wrote: post #141

khriss wrote: post #57

Interestingly, there were no consequences for the execs that made this 'mistake'. There seems to be almost unlimited cover for execs cargo culting on using AI as a pretext for layoffs. If it doesn't implode almost immediately, they get massive bonuses, if it blows up in their face, oh well they had the courage to 'take a bold strategic decision' In other words, they don't really have a plan, but they are happy playin…

Layoffs aren’t “playing with people’s lives”. Employment is only by mutual consent and everyone knows that. Consent can be revoked at any time which is why anyone prudent (especially in a software engineering role) isn’t living paycheck to paycheck. Don’t blame a customer for the vendor’s irresponsibility.

Unfortunately for this perspective, one side of the equation very much plans their lives around this mutual arrangement. When the other party experiments with the arrangement without deep consideration, I think "playing with people's lives" is very much an apt description.

Just because I would not be destitute tomorrow does not mean that my life (and those of my family) would not be deeply impacted.

Re: Ford AI hiccups push carmaker to rehire ‘gray beard’ inspectors

#164

Post by suyash » Thu, Jun 25, 2026, 4:33 PM UTC

khriss wrote: post #57

Interestingly, there were no consequences for the execs that made this 'mistake'. There seems to be almost unlimited cover for execs cargo culting on using AI as a pretext for layoffs. If it doesn't implode almost immediately, they get massive bonuses, if it blows up in their face, oh well they had the courage to 'take a bold strategic decision' In other words, they don't really have a plan, but they are happy playin…

The probably got bonus and promoted since they saved company costs!

Re: Ford AI hiccups push carmaker to rehire ‘gray beard’ inspectors

#165

Post by d_silin » Thu, Jun 25, 2026, 4:34 PM UTC

breakpointalpha wrote: post #121

US software engineers need a union. If I hadn't already landed a job somewhere else, I would only return with a 20% pay bump and an iron-clad contract.

This should be way higher.

Re: Ford AI hiccups push carmaker to rehire ‘gray beard’ inspectors

#166

Post by wartywhoa23 » Thu, Jun 25, 2026, 4:34 PM UTC

I hope those engineers demanded 2x higher salaries this time.

Re: Ford AI hiccups push carmaker to rehire ‘gray beard’ inspectors

#167

Post by quentindanjou » Thu, Jun 25, 2026, 4:34 PM UTC

baron816 wrote: post #159

khriss wrote: post #57

Interestingly, there were no consequences for the execs that made this 'mistake'. There seems to be almost unlimited cover for execs cargo culting on using AI as a pretext for layoffs. If it doesn't implode almost immediately, they get massive bonuses, if it blows up in their face, oh well they had the courage to 'take a bold strategic decision' In other words, they don't really have a plan, but they are happy playin…

Why are you assuming this? Because Bloomberg didn’t report the execs’ performance reviews? Maybe they did face consequences and we just don’t know.

bad performance review and a layoff are completely different worlds.

Re: Ford AI hiccups push carmaker to rehire ‘gray beard’ inspectors

#168

Post by sscaryterry » Thu, Jun 25, 2026, 4:35 PM UTC

baron816 wrote: post #159

khriss wrote: post #57

Interestingly, there were no consequences for the execs that made this 'mistake'. There seems to be almost unlimited cover for execs cargo culting on using AI as a pretext for layoffs. If it doesn't implode almost immediately, they get massive bonuses, if it blows up in their face, oh well they had the courage to 'take a bold strategic decision' In other words, they don't really have a plan, but they are happy playin…

Why are you assuming this? Because Bloomberg didn’t report the execs’ performance reviews? Maybe they did face consequences and we just don’t know.

Agreed, but what they’ve done isn’t illegal (IANAL). A performance review doesn’t address the irreparable harm these actions may cause.

It is reasonable to assume, that this could be walked back in such a way that no one is held accountable.

Re: Ford AI hiccups push carmaker to rehire ‘gray beard’ inspectors

#169

Post by burnte » Thu, Jun 25, 2026, 4:35 PM UTC

baron816 wrote: post #159

khriss wrote: post #57

Interestingly, there were no consequences for the execs that made this 'mistake'. There seems to be almost unlimited cover for execs cargo culting on using AI as a pretext for layoffs. If it doesn't implode almost immediately, they get massive bonuses, if it blows up in their face, oh well they had the courage to 'take a bold strategic decision' In other words, they don't really have a plan, but they are happy playin…

Why are you assuming this? Because Bloomberg didn’t report the execs’ performance reviews? Maybe they did face consequences and we just don’t know.

> Why are you assuming this? Because Bloomberg didn’t report the execs’ performance reviews? Maybe they did face consequences and we just don’t know.

Because we've been alive in America long enough to see this cycle thousands of times. The execs rarely face the music for bad decisions. A round of layoffs looks like a failure to us, but to the investors it was a good idea that didn't work out so there's no punishment for trying to save money.

Re: Ford AI hiccups push carmaker to rehire ‘gray beard’ inspectors

#170

Post by boutell » Thu, Jun 25, 2026, 4:35 PM UTC

teiferer wrote: post #129

neilv wrote: post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Pre-AI version: Oops, you laid off the higher-salaried people without having them train their replacements, so bring them back, long enough to do that. Now, that training[*] will be for both AI models and lower-salaried hires. Perhaps a second mistake by those who thought they didn't need their most experienced people: Now they think they just need to train the AI better, and then new-grad "AI native" hires will be t…

Is there any substantial number of companies actually training AI? Or do you count writing skills files for Claude as "training"? (Cause it really isn't..)

We all know what you mean. But doing what is necessary to make the overall automated system more autonomous = training, at this 30,000 foot altitude.