AI-Enabled Layoffs: When “Optimisation” Means Overhiring

Some workplace patterns repeat so predictably that they almost create their own genre of corporate storytelling. This AI layoff cartoon comes from one such pattern I’ve been observing for a while.

Companies overhire during boom cycles. Then reality hits. Suddenly the same leadership teams that celebrated “bold scaling” have to reverse the move. But instead of owning the decision, the explanation often arrives wrapped in fresh jargon — and these days, that wrapper is usually AI.

I keep wondering:

• When leaders say “AI optimisation,” what percentage of it is genuine technology, and what percentage is narrative management?

• If the decision was a human mistake, why does the correction get attributed to a machine?

• Does the buzzword actually help employees understand the situation, or does it simply make a tough call sound more modern than it is?

AI is transforming real workflows — no doubt. But I keep seeing it being used to transform something else too: the story around accountability. And that’s the idea this cartoon tries to capture — not in judgement, but as an open question about how language shapes workplace truth.

Do explore more cartoons from Kaapi with Ravi:

Cartoon themes

• Job interview cartoons

• Leadership fails cartoons

• HR humor cartoons

  
  

More AI Layoff cartoons

• The Absurdity of Corporate Compensation: A Deep Dive

• The Irony of Corporate Layoffs: A Humorous Take on Workforce Strategies

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