2026 US Tech Industry Layoffs Hit 2023 High, AI Becomes Key Factor

The scale of layoffs in the US tech industry since 2026 has reached the highest level since 2023. So far, tech companies have announced 52,050 layoffs, with 18,720 in March alone, a 40% year-on-year increase in Q1.

Companies are shifting funds from human resources to AI investments, directly leading to job cuts. AI can already replace some programming jobs and accounted for 25% of March layoffs.

Industry views differ: OpenAI CEO Altman says some companies unfairly blame AI for layoffs that would have happened anyway; Anthropic CEO Amodei predicts AI may replace half of junior white-collar jobs in 1-5 years; Gartner analysts note current layoffs are more about resource reallocation for AI investments.