2025’s Tech and Corporate Layoffs Portend the Impact of AI

According to Salesforce exec Andy Valenzuela, companies need to lean in when it comes to AI: “I think it is really about creating orgs that are flexible, creating orgs that are going to allow for these agentic capabilities—and leaning in.” AI agents are going to create value for companies in the long term. That may be true (obvious, even), but in the lead up to adapting for AI, real jobs, and the humans who work them are getting affected, leading to massive layoffs across industries. Education platforms like Chegg, software corps like Autodesk, and a growing number of other firms are cutting staff not simply because of declining performance, but to recalibrate and restructure for AI. Whether it's direct automation, strategic restructuring, or a pivot toward machine learning cap