AI automation drives 45K tech layoffs in 2026

The industry is past the point of debating whether AI will displace workers — it's already happening at scale and companies are now saying so out loud.

• –Block is cutting 40% of its workforce (10K→6K) with CEO Jack Dorsey directly citing AI capability as the reason — this is the most explicit executive-level admission yet
• –WiseTech Global's 2,000 cuts also name generative AI and LLMs specifically, a pattern of companies no longer hiding the actual cause
• –Seattle bears the heaviest burden at 16,590 affected — concentrated tech hubs will feel this disproportionately
• –If current trends hold, 2026 layoffs could hit 264,730, exceeding 2025's 245,000 — the "adjustment period" narrative is increasingly hard to sustain
• –Amazon's 16,000 cuts (not in original article but confirmed by multiple sources) make this the largest single contributor, underscoring that even the companies building AI are shedding headcount because of it