Every time there has been a software system failure or disruption everybody involved insists "AI" and layoffs weren't the direct cause and that people should stop spreading fear about a new tech. It's a tactic to shut down criticism

But even if the proximate cause is something else, trace it back enough and the penultimate cause will often have been "AI" or layoffs. And the ultimate cause is always going to be bad management that prioritised stock price and bonuses over functioning companies