US is starting to see heavy job losses in roles exposed to AI • Hacker News Board

Re: US is starting to see heavy job losses in roles exposed to AI

#81

Post by mapontosevenths » Sat, May 16, 2026, 7:39 PM UTC

LogicFailsMe wrote: post #55

Honey, I overhired during the pandemic and I need a scapegoat for the layoffs!

Thats been mostly straightened out for years. This is tariffs, oil, and uncertainty more than anything.

When I worked in finance the thing that made the analysts happiest was a split election wherein neither side could accomplish much. We now have the opposite of that, and worse a capricious leader who makes huge changes without much justification or explanation. Pressing "shuffle" on the economic policy doesn't help anyone.

To finance the best government is the least effective government.

Re: US is starting to see heavy job losses in roles exposed to AI

#82

Post by senordevnyc » Sat, May 16, 2026, 7:40 PM UTC

LogicFailsMe wrote: post #57

hn_throwaway_99 wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This comment is completely divorced from the facts given in the article. The main point is that certain types of jobs like customer service reps, secretaries and sales people are being disproportionately affected. If it was just general fears about the economy overall one would expect a more broad-based impact.

[flagged]

Nothing they said is a defense of anything.

Re: US is starting to see heavy job losses in roles exposed to AI

#83

Post by ACCount37 » Sat, May 16, 2026, 7:40 PM UTC

themafia wrote: post #63

hn_throwaway_99 wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This comment is completely divorced from the facts given in the article. The main point is that certain types of jobs like customer service reps, secretaries and sales people are being disproportionately affected. If it was just general fears about the economy overall one would expect a more broad-based impact.

If you replace customer service with LLMs I will look for a way to stop doing business with you.

Why care if "unthinking execution of a generic customer service script" is performed by an interpreter made of silicon or flesh?

Neither has any free will to deviate from the script. Both are useless in any case that's not handled by the script. The silicon one has better wait times though.

Re: US is starting to see heavy job losses in roles exposed to AI

#84

Post by hnav » Sat, May 16, 2026, 7:40 PM UTC

amazingamazing wrote: post #31

The reality no one ever wants to talk about is that big tech doesn't need as many employees that it has. Anyone who has worked in big tech knows it is true.

Almost like the whole “learn how to code” thing was a play. Commoditize your complement and all.

Re: US is starting to see heavy job losses in roles exposed to AI

#85

Post by lbrito » Sat, May 16, 2026, 7:41 PM UTC

amazingamazing wrote: post #31

The reality no one ever wants to talk about is that big tech doesn't need as many employees that it has. Anyone who has worked in big tech knows it is true.

This has been true for many years though

Re: US is starting to see heavy job losses in roles exposed to AI

#86

Post by visarga » Sat, May 16, 2026, 7:45 PM UTC

sdaHwtr wrote: post #40

It does not matter at this stage is an excuse for layoffs or not. The entire world should impose sanctions on the US for the largest IP theft in history until the laundering companies are illegal (and the waterways closed due to US wars are open). If this administration works against its people and the whole world, maybe there should be a regime change. Peaceful version of Jan 6th. All the unemployed have little to l…

Why just US and not China, France and UK? They all trained on internet text.

Re: US is starting to see heavy job losses in roles exposed to AI

#87

Post by t-writescode » Sat, May 16, 2026, 7:45 PM UTC

LogicFailsMe wrote: post #55

Honey, I overhired during the pandemic and I need a scapegoat for the layoffs!

Pandemic was 4-5 years ago. That’s no longer an excuse.

Re: US is starting to see heavy job losses in roles exposed to AI

#88

Post by jfengel » Sat, May 16, 2026, 7:45 PM UTC

TurdF3rguson wrote: post #66

paulddraper wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

GDP is not suffering — quite the opposite, 2% real annual growth in Q1 — so recession is definitionally inaccurate.

2% is not the opposite of suffering. It's suffering-adjacent. It loses ground to China.

The US GDP per capita is still well ahead of China. The fact that China is catching up is not a problem for the US.

On its own terms, 2% isn't great. It's kind of the bare minimum. Anything less is losing ground in absolute terms, since that's the target for inflation as well.

That's also assuming the number is trustworthy. The number is a mediocre metric to start with, and I don't trust the administration to be calculating it correctly. They have shot the messenger more than once, after which the messages started to improve with no change in policy.

I would also not that China's numbers are even more opaque and less reliable.

Re: US is starting to see heavy job losses in roles exposed to AI

#89

Post by paulddraper » Sat, May 16, 2026, 7:45 PM UTC

TurdF3rguson wrote: post #66

paulddraper wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

GDP is not suffering — quite the opposite, 2% real annual growth in Q1 — so recession is definitionally inaccurate.

2% is not the opposite of suffering. It's suffering-adjacent. It loses ground to China.

Real GDP growth in Q4 was 0.5%, so it’s a heck of a lot better than that.

2% is average for past decade+.

Re: US is starting to see heavy job losses in roles exposed to AI

#90

Post by setsewerd » Sat, May 16, 2026, 7:48 PM UTC

LogicFailsMe wrote: post #55

Honey, I overhired during the pandemic and I need a scapegoat for the layoffs!

Yeah, the more data that comes out on the "AI employment disruption" the more it becomes apparent that AI is just an investor-friendly excuse to do the layoffs they were going to do anyway.