Understanding AI Washing and Its Connection to Job Displacement

Has artificial intelligence truly blessed workplaces with unprecedented gains, or are the recent layoffs another result of AI washing? Companies are using AI as a permissible reason for layoffs, but this has employees feeling more suspicious than ever before. Not a day goes by that a new report on artificial intelligence doesn’t make an appearance. Some days, there are new reports on advancements in technology, while on other days, the news cycle is dominated by their potential harms. A different CEO shares their opinion on the tech every day, alternating widely between promising that the technology will end employment as we know it, and then switching to a narrative where the technology is, ultimately, not all that threatening. This whishy-washy approach to AI has the global population in a tizzy, unsure if they should prepare for permanent unemployment or an alternate future where they will be allowed to earn a living alongside AI. Amidst this chaos, we have also seen matters complicated further by a scourge of layoffs, all attributed to seeking efficiency via AI. Initially, these layoffs were taken as a sign of the highly efficient nature of the technology and its ability to revolutionize operations in a mechanical heartbeat. More recently, however, contradictory data has allowed this allure of AI to dim to a degree, leaving many wondering if the technology is truly as impactful as tech tycoons will have you believe. As experts in HR and not IT, we can’t comment on the true quality and efficiency of the tech, but what we can do is understand how these conversations are affecting the workforce. Businesses are being accused of “AI washing,” using the tech to disguise the real reason behind the recent era of mass layoffs. (Image: Pexels)