Altman: 'AI Washing' Is Being Used to Justify Layoffs

Sam Altman told CNBC at the India AI Impact Summit that AI is sometimes used as a scapegoat for layoffs, a phenomenon he calls 'AI washing.' He notes 55,000 layoffs in 2025 attributed to AI (less than 1% of total), while surveys show AI’s impact on employment is uncertain; cases like Amazon’s layoffs have been publicly linked to AI and later downplayed. Altman cautions that although AI will displace some jobs, it will also create new roles, with the real impact expected to become palpable in the coming years.